IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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1.8 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY    14580 

(716)  877-4503 


te'   c?< 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  Institut  Canadian  de  microreprod&ictions  historiques 

1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


D 
D 
D 
D 

n 


D 


D 


Coloured  maps/ 

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Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
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D 


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J 


10X 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 

14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


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to  the  generosity  of: 

Izaalc  Walton  Klllam  Memorial  Library 
Dalhousie  University 


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g6n6rosit6  de: 

Izaak  Walton  Killam  Memorial  Library 
Dalhousie  University 


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de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
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first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — »-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED'),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END  "). 
whichever  applies. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimde  sont  filmds  en  commengant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  §tre' 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  A  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Las  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

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DICK  AND  JACK'S 
ADVENTURES  ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


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DICK  AND  JACK'S 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


BV 


B.  FREEMAN   ASHLEY 

^  Author  of  "  Tan  Pile  Jim,"  Etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 

LAIRD  &  LEE,  PUBLISHERS 


^^MMil^i^^^H^ftl^fehJ^^^Irl^^ 


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this  book 

is  dedicated  to 

my  two  boys, 

Frederick   Bennit  Ashley 

AND 

Archibald  Tremaine  Ashley, 
AND  TO  all 

BOYS,    girls,    fathers,    MOTHERS,    SISTERS 

BROTHERS  AND   COUSINS 

WHO  BECOME  THE  READERS  OF 

Dick  and  Jack's  Adventures 

ON 

Sable   Island 


■.J^»;!ilt«V': 


ssmiBiMiiiiiiiiiiim 


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INSTEAD  OF  A  PREFACE 


(1 


1^ 


"Tan  Pile  Jim"  was  so  kindly  received  by  the  press,  by  the 
critics,  and  by  a  large  number  of  boys  and  girls,  ranging  in  age  from 
seven  to  seventy,  and  so  many  have  said.  "  come  again,"  that  we 
now  venture  upon  another  tale  of  youthful  adventure. 

n  the  former  book  we  were  a  good  deal  in  the  woods ;  in  the 
p.esent  volume  we  take  to  the  sea,  and  to  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able islands  of  the  Atlantic  ocean — an  island  of  which  the  alert 
publishers  furnish  a  map  taken  from  the  Dominion  Hydrographic 
Survey. 

It  is  hoped  that  Black  Point  Dick  and  Jack,  and  the  three 
"  womenettes  "  they  discovered  on  Sable  Island,  may  prove  more 
interesting  even  than  "  Tan  Pile  Jim  "  and  his  friends.  The  artist 
whr  illustrated  the  former  work  with  such  inimitable  humor  and 
fidelity,  has  again  tried  his  hand — thanks  to  our  publishers — upon  the 
characters  and  scenes  described  in  the  following  pages. 

If  this  story  succeeds  as  well  as  its  predecessor,  it  is  more  than 
likely  that  another  may  follow  in  the  same  series — a  tale  dealing 
with  life  in  a  queer  corner  of — but  the  title  must  not  be  given  away 
at  this  early  date,  and  so  we  remain. 


B.  FREEMAN  ASHLEY. 


■OMB 


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INDEX  TO  CONTENTS 


CRAPTKR  PAOl 

I.  On  Darling  Rock 13 

II.  A  Stubborn  Question 23 

III.  An  Unwelcome  Visitor 33 

IV.  Blood  V/ill  Tell      ...        -        -        -       -  43 
V.  Last  Trip  of  the  Season      -----  55 

VI.  Old  Gray  Blanket 65 

VII.  Almost  Unknown 75 

VIII.  Diamonds  in  the  Rough 89 

IX.  The  Great  Undercurrent 101 

X.  Taking  Private  Rooms Ill 

XI.  Going  to  Court 125 

XII.  Three  Womenettes      -        -        -        -        -        -  139 

XIII.  Among  the  Dunes 153 

XIV.  Returning  to  Quarters  -        -        -         -        -        -  1 7 1 

XV.  A  Perilous   Proposal 181 

XVI.  The  Carolina  Reappears        -        -         -         -        -  191 

XVII.  The  Winter  of  Their  Discontent        -        -        -  205 

XVIII.  A  Sable  Island  Spring  Fever        -         -        -         -  219 

XIX.  The  Revelations  of  a  Wreck    -                          -  231 

XX.  Dune  Dale,  The  House  That  Dick  and  Jack  Built     -  249 

XXI.  Nuts!  Nuts!     Here's  Nuts!     -        -        -         ..  261 

XXII.  Keeping  a  Secret        -        -        -         -         -.       -  273 

XXIII.  Some   Fresh   Surprises 283 

XXIV.  The  End  That  Is  Only  a  Beginning        -        -        -  301 


Himsisiiamami 


SABLE  ISLAND— WHERE  AND  WHAT  IT  IS 


The  sketch  on  the  opposite  page,  accurately  made  from  the 
Dominion  Hydrographic  Survey,  gives  the  reader  of  this  book  a  good 
idea  of  the  peculiar  shape  of  what  is  known  as  the  "  Graveyard  of 
the  Atlantic,"  and  which,  by  many  old  salts,  is  called  the  "  Grand- 
mother of  Sea  Serpents."  It  lies  east  and  west  in  longitude  west 
60  from  Greenwich,  and  a  few  miles  south  of  latitude  44,  and  is 
about  ninety-five  miles  distant  from  Cape  Canso,  Nova  Scotia.  The 
survey  gives  the  position  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  wrecks,  a  few 
of  which  are  represented  on  this  sketch,  together  with  the  sheltering 
houses,  lite  stations,  lighthouses  and  signal  stations.  Dick  and  Jack 
landed  on  the  southeastern  part  of  the  island,  and  became  resident 
on  the  north  side.  The  dotted  part  at  the  west  end  shows  the  por- 
tion of  the  island  which  has  been  washed  away,  while  that  at  the  east 
end  shows  the  formation  of  the  new  land  which  a^eady  appears  above 
water  in  the  small  island  represented  by  the  white  spot. 


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MAP  OF  SABm  ISLAND 


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ON  DARLING  ROCK 

rs  awful  funny!" 

"  What's  running 

through   your  head 

now,  Jack?  Out  with 

it!  Funny  things  aiC 

as  scarce  here   as 

and    they   should    be 

passed  around  as  soon  as  they 

heave  in  sight." 

"  The  name  of  this  rock — 
never  thought  of  it  before. 
The  idea  of  calling  such  a 
rock  as  this  a  darling! 
Somebody  must  have  been 
plaguy  hard  up  for  a  pet." 
"  'Tisn't  safe  to  laugh  till 
you  know  what  you  are  laughing  at.  There's  nothing  funny  about 
the  name  of  this  rock.     A  good  number  of  years  ago,  before  a  soul 

13 


:n::.;*ti::,:;-;i:f^«fl 


14 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


i^;. 


lived  within  ten  miles  of  this  place,  a  brig  came  ashore  here  in  the 
dead  of  winter  and  broke  in  two  on  the  point  of  this  rock.  Before 
word  could  be  got  to  Port  Mouton  for  help  seven  men  froze  to  death. 
Only  five  of  the  crew  were  saved.  The  brig  was  called  the  Darling, 
and  that's  how  the  rock  got  its  name." 

"  Well,  I  knew  nothing  about  it.  Catch  me  coming  down  here 
again  in  the  night  time  to  see  the  waves  turn  to  fire.  I  wonder  the 
ghosts  haven't  picked  me  up  long  before  this  and  carried  me  off  to 
sea  with  them." 

"You  needn't  be  afraid  of  seeing  ghosts  anywhere  about  here." 

-Why  not?" 

"  The  country  is  such  a  scare-crow  ghosts  are  afraid  to  come 
here." 

"Why,  Dick!  I  have  heard  you  say,  ever  so  many  times,  that 
this  was  a  grand  place  to  live  in." 

"  H'm!  So  it  is,  if  you  are  only  hunting  for  something  to  eat, 
and  have  a  hankering  for  the  everlasting  racket  that  the  sea  makes 
upon  the  beach  and  among  the  rocks.  But  I  shouldn't  like  to  die 
here,  for  those  who  are  buried  here  will  have  a  hard  tussle  to  get 
from  under  the  rocks  when  the  resurrection  comes." 

"  You  are  such  a  prime  fellow  for  getting  out  of  scrapes  and  tight 
places,  I'm  thinking  your  chances  would  be  as  good  here  as  any- 
where." 

"  Look  here.  Jack!  If  we  don't  qui.  this  sort  of  talk,  and  begin 
to  pull  something  out  of  the  sea  for  dinner,  we'll  get  into  a  scrape 
with  mother,  and  one  that  won't  be  very  easy  to  get  out  of,  either." 

And  suiting  his  action  to  his  word,  Dick  put  a  clam  upon  his 
strong  hand-line,  and,  with  a  graceful  circling  throw,  sent  it  fifty 
feet  from  the  side  of  the  rock  on  which  they  were  standing.  The 
bait  had  no  sooner  reached  the  bottom  than  it  was  seized  by  a 
hungry  cunner — a  sort  of  sea-bass — which  was  speedily  landed  upon 
♦he  rock  and  thrown  into  a  bath-like  water-filled  cavity  in  the  sur- 
face. Nor  was  this  the  only  capture  ;  in  swift  succession  another 
cunner,  a  good-«;ized  mackerel,  a  young  codfish,  a  big  speckled  crab 
and  a  crusty  old  lobster  were  hauled  up.     And  there  were  sculplns. 


f^^mf^    / 


ire  in  the 

Before 

to  death. 

e  Darling. 

lown  here 

/onder  the 

me  off  to 

Dut  here." 

I  to  come 

times,  that 

ling  to  eat. 

sea  makes 

like  to  die 

issle  to  get 


iS 


and  tight 
re  as  any- 


:.  and  begin 
ito  a  scrape 
of,  either." 
m  upon  his 
sent  it  fifty 
nding.     The 
seized  by  a 
landed  upon 
/  in  the  sur- 
sion  another 
peckled  crab 
re  re  sculplns, 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


15 


too,  which,  like  some  people  we  wot  of.  were  mostly  mouth,  spots 
and  prickly  spines,  fins  and  tail.  The  sculpins  were  thrown  upon  the 
surface  of  the  rock  long  enough  to  permit  them  to  bloat  up  witfr 
wind  to  their  hearts'  content,  and  then  they  were  thrown  back  into 
the  sea.  where,  floating,  like  the  natural  bladders  that  they  were, 
they  made  frantic  but  unavailing  attempts  to  get  under  water  again. 

Jack  Melville,  the  first  speaker,  was  in  his  fourteenth  year,  and 
Dick,  to  whom  he  was  speaking,  was  his  sixteen-y^ar-old  brother. 
The  boys  were  not  only  brothers,  but  chums  in  every  sense  of  the 
word.  Both  were  tall,  and  straight  as  ram-rods.  Neither  of  them 
carried  an  ounce  of  surplus  flesh.  Their  mother  said  that  she  would 
as  soon  think  of  trying  to  fatten  a  pair  of  beanpoles  as  to  think  of 
trying  to  cover  their  bones  with  flesh.  No  fault  could  be  found  with 
their  appetites ;  they  ate  what  was  set  before  them  with  so  much  dili- 
gence that  they  never  had  time  to  ask  questions  or  to  maKe  remarks 
about  their  food.  Although  they  were  so  lean,  their  muscles  were 
like  bundles  of  steel  springs,  and  all  their  movements  were  as  quick 
and  full  of  life  as  the  movements  of  a  squirrel. 

It  is  a  mystery  how  such  plain  names  as  Richard  and  John  get 
twisted  into  .such  mis-names  as  Dick  and  Jack  ;  it  is  as  great  as  the 
mystery  of  Cain's  wife.  The  boys,  from  their  earliest  recollection, 
knew  themselves  as  Dick  and  Jack,  and  they  never  said  Richard  and 
John  unless  they  were  meditating  mischief,  and  when  anybody  else 
addressed  them  by  their  written  names,  it  was  immediately  taken 
for  granted  that  something  solemn  or  ominous  was  putting  on  its 
boots  for  a  kick.  Let  us  call  them  Dick  and  Jack,  for.  after  all. 
these  names  are  not  so  objectionable  as  the  lolly-pop  ones,  which, 
like  "  Tommie  "  or  "  Tildie."  taper  to  sweet  nothingness, 

Dick's  features,  slightly  freckled  and  much  browned,  were  regular. 
His  eyes  were  black  as  coals,  and  his  dark  hair  was  a  declaration  of 
independence  ;  no  comb  could  reduce  it  to  smoothness. 

Jack's  face  was  as  freckled  as  a  foliage  plant,  and  some  of  the 
spots — many  of  them  in  fact— were  larger  than  a  dime  and  far  more 
ragged  around  the  edges.  His  eyes,  brown  and  velvety,  were  of 
nearly  the  same  shade  as  his  'ong,  curly,  dark-brown  hair.     The 


iimimui.^TOniiiflitiiiiiiiiii>iiii!iimJi»attteiftffi   / 


16 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


features  were  somewhat  girlish  and  poetic ;  yet  it  was  no;  safe  to 
presume  too  much  upon  this,  for  his  dreamy  eyes  were  capable  of 
ominous  flashes,  and  when  he  was  aroused  he  was  both  obstinate  and 
fearless. 

As  he  stood  there  on  the  rock,  he  was  dressed  In  a  red  flannel 
shirt,  blue  knickerbockers  and  brown  stockings.  His  lower  and  upper 
garments  were  kept  together  by  a  pair  of  home-knit  "  gallusses," 
which,  being  made  of  lamb's  wool,  were  sufficiently  elastic  to  meet 
all  the  requirements  of  the  most  unexpected  capers.  He  wore  a 
Tam  O'Shanter,  knit  by  ten  angels  who  lived  on  his  mother's  hands 
— angels  of  industry  and  watchfulness,  whose  incessant  activity 
must  have  made  the  recording  angel  look  upon  her  daily  tasks  as 
;..arvels  of  womanly  capability.  Knowing  the  boys  partiality  for 
bright  colors,  Mrs.  Melville,  mother  of  seven  children,  all  living,  and 
all.  at  home  save  two  of  the  eldest  boys,  had  run  a  glowing  band  of 
red  through  the  head-band  of  the  Tam  O'Shanter.  and.  besides,  had 
crowned  the  predominating  gray  with  a  flowing  tassel  of  the  same 
color, 

Dick  was, in  blue  from  top  to  bottom,  both  shirt  and  trousers  hav- 
ing been  shaped  from  a  bale  of  blue  serge  that  had  come  on  shore 
from  some  unknown  wreck.  Disdaining  all  such  things  as 
"  gallusses,"  his  waist  was  girded  with  a  leathern  belt  made  by  him- 
self after  the  dictates  of  his  own  fancy. 

Neither  of  them  wore  anything  in  the  shape  of  under  or  over 
clothing;  the  lives  they  led  during  the  milder  part  of  the  year  were 
altogether  too  free  to  permit  of  any  such  incumbrances.  Both  wore 
heavy  cowhide  brogans,  made  for  service  rather  than  for  show. 
These  knew  nothing  of  blacking,  although  they  were  well 
acquainted  with  mutton  tallow,  to  which,  if  they  were  treated  on 
Sunday  morning,  they  owed  their  freedom  from  all  complaining 
squeaks. 

Two  boys  of  such  a  make-up  could  not  move  around  without  con- 
siderable wear  and  tear,  and  hence,  it  happened  that  their  garments 
were  spotted  with  darns  and  patches  almost  without  number.  Nor 
did  the  colors  of  the  additions  always  conform  to  the  original  hues  of 


« 


MtmwtH\unwtmnH»mmtmuummmtmmmnwmif'^i 


^temm 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


17 


the  material  of  which  they  had  become  a  part.  Wear  and  weather, 
however,  soon  reduced  the  whole  to  a  sort  of  subdued  harmony. 

Dick  wore  a  blue  navy  cap  which  he  found  on  the  beach.  It  had 
a  band  of  real  gold  lace  around  it,  and  when  first  taken  possession 
of  "  R.  N."  in  gold  were  over  the  vizor.  These  letters  were 
carefully  removed. 

"  They  might  mean  Royal  Navy,"  said  the  finder ;  •'  and  if  I  were 
to  leave  them  on  I  might  be  taken  up  for  pretending  to  be  a  British 
navy  officer." 

"  They  might  mean  Regular  Noodle,"  suggested  Jack,  a  little 
enviously;  "and  in  that  case  they  would  be  equally  dangerous  to 
wear." 

As  it  was,  the  cap  made  Dick  look  like  a  midshipman,  and  cer- 
tainly put  into  his  head  a  good  many  quarterdeck  Ideas  with  which 
he  had  not  been  troubled  before  its  arrival.  Possibly  the  former 
owner  may  have  been  a  little  top-lofty,  and  some  of  his  feelings 
might  have  stuck  to  the  cap  in  spite  of  the  washings  of  the  waves, 
and  so,  some  of  them  might  have  leaked  down  into  Dick's  brain. 
At  any  rate  a  bit  of  shining  gaud  occasionally  plays  the  mischief  with 
otherwise  very  sensible  people. 

After  the  boys  had  tended  their  lines  awhile,  Jack,  seeing  that  the 
next  meal  was  safely  provided  for,  stopped  his  jerking  invitations  to 
the  fish,  and,  in  his  dreaming  way.  amused  himself  by  observing 
things  about  him.  And  there  are  many  things  to  amuse  one  if  the 
weather  eye  is  kept  open. 

Far  out  at  sea  a  ship  under  full  head  of  canvas  was  moving  along 
the  horizon  like  a  small  .white  cloud.  A  big  black  ocean-liner 
steamed  along  in  an  opposite  direction  throwing  out  densely  black 
smoke  that  trailed  against  the  blue  sky  for  miles  and  miles.  Smaller 
craft  could  be  seen  here  and  there,  but  they  were  so  distant  they 
looked  like  gulls  skimming  the  surface  of  the  sea. 

Tiring  of  the  distant  view,  Jack  condescended  tolook  at  what  was 
nearer.  Two  ducks,  seeming  to  know  that  the  boys  hgd  no  guns 
with  them,  alighted  impudently  near  the  rock,  and  three  seals, 
within  a  stone's  throw,  pushed  their  heads  above  water  and  looked 


BaHfttiHro(i|lMiliiMl>*ttfmf>t<tttwiijt4i>fjfmifnmr 


16 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


covetously  in  the  direction  of  the  sculpins  that  were  still  floating 
upon  the  surface,  for  seals  must  eat  as  well  as  human  beings. 
Presently  one  of  them  sank  oui  of  sight,  and  a  moment  after  one  of 
the  sculpins  disappeared  also.  This  was  the  signal  for  the  other 
seals  to  go  to  the  bottom,  where,  doubtless,  they  shared  in  the  fruits 
of  the  first  one's  enterprise. 

Down  in  the  clear  depths,  near  the  rock,  enormous  crabs  were 
playing  a  sort  of  hop-scotch  game,  which,  however,  was  brought  to  a 
speedy  close  by  a  big  lobster,  which  darted  among  them,  tail  fore- 
most, as  rapidly  as  a  rocket.  In  an  instant  the  crabs  buried  them- 
selves in  the  sand,  and  Mr.  Lobster  returned  to  his  hole  under  the 
edge  of  the  rock. 

Several  starfish  crept  slowly  about,  although,  so  far  as  Jack  could 
see,  they  hadn't  a  single  convenience  for  travelling.  A  lot  of  sea- 
urchins,  looking  like  big,  bad,  green  apples,  crawled  up  and  down  the 
face  of  the  rock  with  as  much  ease  as  if  they  had  furnished  them- 
selves with  a  supply  of  housefly  boots.  It  was  as  if  a  score  or  two 
of  base  balls  were  climbing  up  a  wall. 

White-bellied,  silver-scaled,  blue-backed,  black-spotted  fish  swam 
abtfOt  in  mid-water  with  as  much  fearlessness  as  if  there  were  not  a 
hook  within  a  hundred  miles. 

Feeling  a  peculiar  touch  upon  his  line.  Jack  glanced  down  to  where 
it  trailed  over  the  side  of  a  rock,  and  saw  two  long  slimy  arms  pro- 
jecting from  a  crevice  and  meddling  v.'ith  his  business.  He  let  them 
fumble  about  for  a  moment,  and  then  began  to  pull  in.  At  this  six 
more  arms  of  the  same  kind  came  to  the  aid  of  the  two  already  at 
work,  and  a  hideous  head,  with  two  great  blueish-gray  eyes,  looked 
upward  with  a  stare  that  would  have  terrified  the  fisherboy  if  he  had 
never  seen  the  like  before. 

"So  it's  you,  Mr.  Devilfish!"  exclaimed  Jack,  wrathily.  "I'd 
like  to  run  hot  irons  into  your  goggles,  and  chop  you  to  pieces  with 
an  axe.  Just  let  my  line  alone  and  go  about  your  business."  To 
emphasize  his  advice,  he  jerked  his  line  with  all  the  force  it  would 
bear,  and  the  intruder,  dropping  to  the  bottom,  used  his  eight  arms 


f  Wfl'Hi'J^J,. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


19 


for  legs  and  ran  away,  looking  for  all  the  world  like  a  six-foot  gray 
spider. 

"  Now.  just  for  the  chance  of  the  thing,  I'll  put  a  fresh  bait  on  and 
make  another  throw  into  the  big  pocket  of  old  ocean,"  But,  chancing 
on  nothing,  Jack  lost  ail  interest  in  fishing,  and  watched  the  waves 
chasing  one  another  till  they  noisily  splashed  among  the  cobble  or 
thinned  themselves  to  nothing  running  up  the  beach.  He  took  as 
much  pleasure  in  this  as  a  turfman  would  in  seeing  horses  racing  on 
a  track,  and  wondered  why  one  wave  never  got  ahead  of  another 
that  had  once  gotten  the  start  of  it. 

Suddenly  he  called  out :  "  Hello.  Dick  !  There's  a  whole  host 
of  old  girls  coming  around  the  corner  of  the  rock!" 

"Well,  let  'cm  come,"  said  Dick,  recognizing  one  of  Jack's  old 
jokes.  "  There's  plenty  of  room  for  them  to  dance  if  they  don't 
come  too  near  the  rock." 

Thousands  of  jelly-fish,  with  their  great  parasol-heads  and  skirt- 
like stringers,  were  coming  around  the  rock  in  the  slow  tide-current 
in  a  long  crooked  procession  of  members  that  varied  in  size  from 
two  inchea  to  six  feet  in  length.  As  they  bobbed  up  and  down,  and 
turned  round  and  round,  it  required  no  great  «tretch  of  imagination 
to  think  of  them  as  a  lot  of  sea-girls  out  for  a  gentle  frolic ;  but, 
being  transparent,  they  looked  ghost-like  and  uncanny.  Withal, 
they  were  as  circumspect  as  if  the  head  of  the  procession  were  led 
by  a  clergyman,  and  the  tail  of  it  were  finished  off  with  a  godly 
grandmother. 

Vexed  at  the  failure  of  his  joke.  Jack  gave  a  vicious  pull  at  his 
line,  with  the  result  of  becoming  convinced  that  he  had  struck  some- 
thing more  disappointing  than  a  dead  joke.  Pulling  in  his  line,  he 
found  that  he  had  hooked  a  stingaree  or  skate,  s  creature  which  has 
a  tail  ending  with  a  poisonous  horn  for  a  weapon  of  offense  and 
defense. 

"  Here's  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish !  What  shall  I  do  with  this  con- 
founded salt-water  bumblebee,  Dick?" 

"  Keep  clear  of  his  tail,  whatever  else  you  do.     Let  him  have  ten 


XHi^Jffj.. 


>WWiUlU^*;MWimiHW>Wtftii.ti»mt(iWt?:»lrtf>i<^^ 


20 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


feet  of  the  line,  and  then  run  him  up  the  rock.     While  he  is  think- 
ing about  things  I'll  mash  his  head  with  a  stone." 

Jack  did  as  directed,  and  when  the  unwelcome  and  dangerous 
visitor  was  killed,  he  was  flung  back  into  the  sea,  with  an  invitation 
to  go  and  examine  the  teeth  of  the  seals. 

"  His  blood  will  draw  a  school  of  mackerel."  said  Dick,  "  and  I'll 
fish  a  little  longer  to  help  them  along  with  their  education.  There's 
nothing  like  the  wisdom  that  comes  by  experience." 

Jack  was  urged  to  join  in  the  teaching,  but  his  reply  was  :  "  No, 
sir!  I  know  when  I've  got  enough.  I'm  beginning  to  smell  like  a 
fish  myself,  and  when  a  fellow  gets  that  far  along  he'll  spoil  the  taste 
ot  his  grub  if  he  doesn't  stop.  I'll  take  a  walk  while  you  are  finish- 
ing your  pull." 

It  is  not  every  boy  that  can  take  a  walk  like  that  which  jack  took, 
aiid  that,  too,  without  leaving  Darling  Rock.  The  rock  was  over 
300  feet  long  by  about  100  in  width.  Through  the  middle,  em- 
bedded in  the  tough  gray  granite,  and  running  cross-wise  the  entire 
width,  there  was  a  broad  seam  of  glistening  milk-white  quartz  flash- 
ing with  great  lumps  of  flaky  mica,  from  which  the  boys  slivered  off 
all  the  mica  they  wan4ed  for  lanterns  and  for  window  lights,  when 
by  any  mischance  the  house  windows  got  broken. 

The  rock  was  shaped  like  a  great  wharf,  and  when  the  weather 
permitted,  fishing  vessels  sometimes  ran  alongside  for  the  purpose  of 
refilling  their  casks  with  fresh  water  drawn  from  a  spring  that  purled 
from  among  the  rocks  of  the  upland.  This,  however,  was  a  risky 
thing  to  do,  the  shore  being  naked  to  the  full  sweep  of  both  wind  and 
wave. 

One  side  of  the  rock  formed  a  part  of  a  crescent  shaped  cove 
around  the  shores  of  which  there  was  a  steep  beach  of  many-colored 
cobble  stones  broken  into  numberless  sizes  and  rounded  into  an  In- 
finite variety  of  shapes  by  the  ceaseless  play  of  the  sea.  At  all 
times  these  cobbles  could  be  heard  rattling  beneath  the  waves  as  ii 
protesting  against  being  ground  into  the  nothingness  ot  mere  sand. 
Similar  coves  stretched  beyond,  so  that  the  coast  looked  as  though 
the  great  sea-serpent  were   in  the  habit  of  making  his  meals  from 


'i^ 


mmf^mmmmmmtmmmm 


id 
1- 
ill 


V 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


21 


the  edge  of  the  land  by  biting  Into  it  as  a  boy  sometimes  bites  into 
the  edges  of  his  slice  of  bread  and  butter. 

That  side  of  the  rock  on  >vhich  the  boys  had  been  fishing  gave  a 
view  of  a  long  sand-beach,  whose  glistening  sands  were  almost  as 
white  as  snow.  Jack  knew  that  the  cobbles  that  were  ground  up  on 
one  side  of  the  rock  made  the  sands  that  were  spread  out  on  the 
other  side,  but  he  couldn't  understand  how  it  was  that  only  the  white 
particles  were  thrown  on  shore  together  ;  and  more  than  once  he  had 
tried  to  guess  what  became  of  all  the  darker  parts  of  the  pulverized 
cobbles.  There  was  a  picking  process  carried  on  somewhere,  and 
very  effectual  it  was,  too.  in  its  selections ;  so  effectual,  indeed,  that 
it  made  hira  thi..k  of  the  separation  made  between  the  good  and 
the  bad. 

The,  land-end  of  Darling  Rock  rose  till  It  was  lost  in  a  plat  of 
highland  sod,  covered  with  the  reddest  of  clover  and  with  the  whitest 
of  field-daisies,  in  contrast  with  which,  belated  dandelions  here  and 
there  flung  out  their  brilliant  yellow.  Above  this  patch  of  wild 
beauty  rose  a  small  hill  topped  by  a  flat  ridge  of  granite  on  which 
was  perched  a  gigantic  boulder  16  feet  high,  round  as  an  apple  and 
more  than  100  tons  In  weight,  and  so  delicately  poised  in  its  shallow 
socket  in  the  rock  that  a  single  person,  with  the  aid  of  a  crowbar,  could 
make  It  sway  to  and  fro.  Other  boulders,  but  of  a  much  smaller 
size,  were  scattered  all  about,  reminders  of  the  time  when  the  great 
ice-floods  played  marbles  with  them — the  time  before  boys  were  in- 
vented. 

The  big  boulder  was  called  the  Witch  of  Endor  There  had  been 
a  shipwreck  on  the  beach,  and  while  saving  her  cargo  the  crew 
camped  near  the  boulder.  Among  the  men  was  a  pranky  painter, 
who,  using  the  ship's  paints,  spent  a  whole  Sunday  morning  in  paint- 
ing the  sea-side  part  of  the  bouldef  with  what  he  called  a  likeness  of 
the  Witch  of  Endcr.  The  face  was  ugly  enough  to  be  called  any- 
thing that  was  bad,  and  could  be  plainly  seen  a  mile  at  sea.  Its  ugly, 
glaring  eyes  stared  directly  down  upon  Darling  ;ck,  as  though  de- 
termined to  frighten  anyone  from  landing  there. 

The  sea-end  of  Darling  Rock  tapered  down  till  it  was  lost  in  a 


tpfimtmmm 


22 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


broken  ledge  which  was  bared  only  at  low  tide,  or  when  the  trough 
of  the  waves  passed  over  it.  It  was  covered  with  a  tangle  of  long 
kelp  or  seaweed  that  swayed  and  squirmed  in  the  water  like  an  enor- 
mous bunch  of  dark-green  serpents. 

Stopping  his  walk  for  a  moment  Jack  looked  up  to  the  Witch  of 
Endor,  and  shaking  his  fist  at  her,  exclaimed  :  "  You  miserable  old 
hag !  you  must  be  the  mother  of  the  sculpins,  stingarees,  devil-fish 
and  sea-serpents,  and  every  other  nasty  thing  that  hides  in  the  sea ! 
If  I  could  only  crowbar  you  out  of  that  hollow  I'd  roll  you  down  hill 
into  the  sea  where  you  belong.  Or  if  I  had  wood  enough  I'd 
kindle  a  lire  under  you  that  would  crack  your  ugly  cocoanut  into 
smithereens!"  . 


x 


1 


mimmmr 


m^ 


fioKer- 1 


i.ii 


A  STUnnORN  QUESTION 

ACK'S  fling  at  the  Witch  of 
Endor  increased  his  desire  to 
throw  stones  at  all  the  region 
round  about.  Returning  to 
Dick,  he  sat  down  by  Him, 
and  in  a  very  determined  way, 
asked : 

"  Dick,  how  did  we  ever  get 
here?" 

"  Why — er — don't  you  re- 
member   how   we    got    here 
three  ^   ars  ago?"     Dick  re- 
plied, stumblingly,  not  under 
standing  what  his  brother  was 
driving  at. 
"  Oh,   I   remember  what  a 
time  we  had  after  leaving  the 
last  settlement  getting  through 
the  woods,  bogs  and  sands, 
where  there  wasn't  a  sign 
'^^\-   of  a  road  to  be  seen ;  it 
makes  me  ache  to  think  of  it  even  now,  but  that   isn't  what  1  am 

thinking  of  now." 

as 


»J/M»*»^ 


|l!".!'l.W«l«»»>-«"f 


MilMMi 


T'l.i-i.  {•■•'' J*fJI{lJ..i!tl  tiff fWrrirr 

a^ri^iiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiftllitlfiiiiiii 


24 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"  Well,  what  do  you  mean,  anyway?" 

"  Wasn't  father  born  in  North  Carolina  and  mot'ncr  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  didn't  they  both  live  in  Maine  a  good  many  years?" 

"Of  course,  of  course!"  Dick  was  prompt  enough  to  answer 
now,  for,  although  he  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  he  was  jealous  of  his 
United  States  pedigree,  and  swore  by  the  stars  and  stripes  as  loyally 
as  if  he  had  been  born  an  American  a  dozen  times  over. 

"  Then  how  did  we  ever  get  here  ?"  persisted  Jack,  stubbornly. 

Dick  found  himself  up  to  the  neck  in  a  difficulty,  but  he  wasn't 
going  to  confess  it,  and  so,  at  a  venture,  he  said  :  "  Well,  you  see, 
father  was  a  minister,  and  ministers  have  to  go  where  the  Lord 
sends  them." 

The  answer  was  so  lame  and  halting  that  Jack  saw  how  it  hobbled 
along,  and  he  interrupted  him  with:  "That  won't  go,  Dick! 
There's  no  church  here,  and  nothing  to  make  one  of;  nobody  but 
Wallace,  that  old  Scotchman  on  the  hill,  and  old  Wagner,  the 
Dutchman  on  Port  Mouton  Head,  and  Mingo,  the  Frenchman  that 
lives  on  the  other  side  of  Catherine's  river.  Who'd  want  to  preach 
to  them  and  their  wives  ?  they'd  frighten  Paul  and  Peter  out  of  the 
very  idea.  Father  never  preaches  here,  but  tramps  miles  and  miles 
away  when  he  has  anything  of  that  kind  to  do.  Don't  fool  with  me  1 
How  did  we  get  here  ?" 

"  Do  you  remember  Yarmouth  ?"  asked  Dick,  cautiously.  "  There 
are  lots  of  people  there,  and  good  people,  too.  and  father  preached 
in  a  big  church  there,  and  the  folks  that  went  to  his  church  wore 
good  clothes  and  all  that  sort  of  thing." 

"  I  remember  that  well  enough.  Maybe  the  Lord  did  send  him 
there,  but  if  I'd  been  ti»e  Lord  I'd  have  kept  him  in  the  States, 
where  he  belonged.  At  any  rate,  he  might  have  kept  him  in  Yar- 
mouth, where  a  fellow  had  a  chance  to  see  some  boys  and  girls  once 
in  a  while,  and  to  go  to  school  if  he  wanted  to." 

Dick  was  inclined  to  laugh  at  his  brother's  outburst,  but  seeing 
that  his  eyes  were  beginning  to  burn,  he  gathered  his  scattered  wits 
and  plunged  into  the  mystery  as  well  as  he  knew  how. 

"  You  know  father  had  some  rich  members  in  his  church  in  Yar- 


■.ripninriTKiiMti'r'"-*"'"'1'— iumnuMtmmninmttiii* 


»tft*ttimttly 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


25 


;! 


mouth,  and  one  of  them  used  to  own  this  place,  which  he  kept  for 
hunting  purposes.  One  summer  he  invited  father  to  come  down 
here  and  spend  his  vacation  with  him.  Father  fell  in  love  with  the 
place,  and  the  man  sold  it  to  him — nineteen  hundred  acres  for 
twenty-five  cents  an  acre." 

"  Fell  in  love  with  it !  Goodness,  Dick !  And  did  he  fall  in  love 
with  the  Witch  of  Endor?" 

"  Well,  she  was  here  with  the  rest  of  the  country." 

"  I  knew  the  Lord  had  nothing  to  do  with  his  coming  here.  Now, 
pony  up,  and  tell  me  straight :  What  did  he  come  here  for  ?  It's 
worse  than  *  Pilgrim's  Progress,'  or  •  Robinson  Crusoe,'  or  any  of 
'  Peter  Parley's  Tales,'  and  worse  than  the  wilderness  in  which  the 
Israelites  got  lost  for  forty  years !"     .  .. 

"Well,  Americans  like  to  make  money,  and  father  thought  he 
saw  a  chance  to  make  some  here,  so  he  dropped  his  church  and 
came  here  to  try  it.  But  you  know  he  hasn't  given  up  preaching 
altogether." 

"  Make  money  here!"  exclaimed  Jack,  ripping  into  Dick's  apolo- 
getic explanations  without  mercy.  •'  How  can  he  make  money  here 
when  there  is  nothing  to  make  it  out  of  ?" 

"  Why,  you  know  he  has  twenty  men  at  work  for  him." 

"  Yes,  but  they  cost  money,  and  we  have  to  keep  fishing  and 
shooting  for  their  camp  more  than  half  the  time  to  keep  them  in 
victuals." 

"  They  cost  money  now,  but  by  and  by,  when  their  work  is  done 
and  father's  plans  are  completed,  the  money  will  come  back,  and  lots 
more  with  it."  Dick  spoke  stoutly  enough,  yet  his  confidence  was 
by  no  means  up  to  the  level  of  his  words.  "  ♦ 

"  What  are  the  men  doing?"  asked  Jack,  for  the  thought  of  there 
being  anything  like  a  plan  in  affairs  around  him  had  not  occurred  to 
him  before. 

*'  The  gang  at  Catherine's  river  is  dyking  the  river  and  sluicing  it 
with  sluices  that  the  flow  of  the  tide  will  shut  and  the  flow  of  *•■ 
river  will  open.     That  will  shut  the  tide  out  from  the  salt  meado 
and  drain  them  from  the  water  of  the  streams.     The  other  gang  is 


««*«M«j.. 


4HtHHIHU!ii»inW»UIIIIW*lltlil»irmmi|m^W<>||^^  / 


26 


Dick  and  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


cutting  a  canal  at  this  end  of  the  meadows  to  let  the  water  out  that 
way  also.  And  the  brush  that  has  been  piled  upon  Port  Jolli  beach 
will  collect  the  sand  when  it  blows  about,  and  by  piling  on  brush  as 
fast  as  the  sand  rises,  there  will  soon  be  a  high  sand  wall  against  the 
sea  between  '^■atherine's  river  and  Black  Point.  When  it's  all  done, 
there'll  be  ^reds  of  acres  of  fresh  meadows  instead  of  salt 
meadows,  an  j  shall  have  clover  and  timothy  enough  to  supply  all 
southern  Nova  Scotia.  Good  hay  is  scarce  here,  you  know.  There's 
big  money  in  it,  sure,"  and  Dick's  confidence  arose  again  as  soon  as 
he  began  to  assert  it. 

"  Besides,"  he  went  on  to  say,  "  we  shall  be  able  to  keep  hundreds 
of  cattle  and  thousands  of  sheep  to  supply  these  Nova  Scotians  with. 
Oh,  I  tell  you  father's  up  to  snuff,  never  you  fear!" 

"  How  long  will  it  take?"  ••    -  /' 

*'  Maybe  four  or  five  years." 

"  That's  an  awful  long  time  to  wait  for  money." 

"We  won't  have  to  wait  that  long;  we  can  do  as  Peter  did,  get 
money  from  the  fish.  There  are  oceans  of  mackerel  and  codfish  off 
shore,  and  no  end  of  halibut.  Why,  since  you  and  1  have  taken  to 
halibut  hunting  we  have  put  up  over  forty  kegs  of  fins  and  smoked  more 
than  two  tons  of  halibut  meat,  and  have  made  over  $175.00  in  clean 
cash,  besides  getting  a  good  many  things  in  exchange  for  the  meat. 
Then  we  have  made  ten  barrels  of  sour  kraut  from  the  cabbages  we 
raised;  and  just  think  of  the  potatoes  and  the  turnips!  Oh,  we 
shan't  starve  here  ;  and  when  we  have  made  money  enough  we  are 
going  over  to  the  States,  where  we'll  cut  as  big  a  swell  as  anybody, 
and  have  all  the  books  we  can  read." 

Now  that  Dick  had  fairly  started  the  current  in  another  direction, 
Jack  was  caught  in  it  and  went  with  it.  "And  just  think  of  the  shoot- 
ing there  is  round  here!"  he  exclaimed  with  enthusiasm.  "  Foxes, 
wildcats  and  bears,  and  wolves,  too.  when  we  want  to  make  up  a 
variety  of  skins;  and  the  muskrat,  mink  and  weasel  skins  sell  as 
well  as  the  others.  Then  there  are  the  ducks  and  the  wild  geese 
that  fill  the  salt  ponds  back  of  the  salt  meadows  in  the  fall,  and  the 
plovers,  curlews,  snipe  and  beach-birds  that  crowd  about  in  the  spring, 


wm 


MiM?^'^/■H»w•^, 


mt^*^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


27 


not  to  say  anything  about  the  partridges,  and  the  bushels  of  gulls' 
eggs  we  can  get  when  we  want  them,  if  we  only  had  some  real  live 
boys  and  girls  to  keep  us  company  I'd  be  almost  willing  to  believe 
that  the  Lord  sent  father  here  after  all." 

"You  forget  the  Wallace,  Wagner  and  Mingo  boys  and  girls." 
said  Dick,  glad  to  see  that  Jack  was  veering  round  to  a  more  cheer- 
ful view  of  things.        •  . 

"  Ugh  !  they  are  only  trash  !  Can't  one  of  them  read  or  write  ; 
and  they  speak  so  crookedly  it's  enough  to  breaK  one's  back  to  listen 
to  them.  Scotch,  Dutch  and  French  !  it  hurts  my  ears  every  time 
one  of  them  speaks  to  me.  I  tried  to  teach  one  of  those  Mingo 
girls  a  verse  of  Scripture  last  Sunday,  when  I  was  over  there,  and  she 
made  such  work  of  it  I  almost  felt  as  if  the  Lord  would  kill  her  for 
making  the  Bible  appear  so  ridiculous.  If  we  had  another  American 
family  here  to  keep  us  company,  so  that  we  could  celebrate  Fourth 
of  July  together,  we'd  let  the  other  folks  go  to  the  the  Witch  of 
Endor  for  company,  for  they  smell  like  codfish  oil  every  time  they 
come  here,  and  look  as  dirty  as  if  they  had  just  crawled  out  of  a 
gurry  barrel."  ■ 

"Well,  we've  got  one  good,  sweet,  pretty  sister,  anyway,  and  we 
shall  have  to  make  the  most  of  her,"  remarked  Dick,  proudly. 

"  Mary!  That's  so!"  consented  Jack, with  emphasis.  "  and  if  our 
big  brothers  were  not  off  getting  their  livings  for  themselves  we  could 
have  pretty  good  times.  The  little  shavers  are  not  fit  for  anything, 
only  to  kitten  around  among  the  rocks  after  shells  or  among  the 
grass  and  the  thickets  for  birds'  eggs." 

"  But  we  have  father  and  mother ;  he's  always  full  of  fun  and 
stories  about  his  campaign  among  the  Seminoles  of  Florida,  and  she 
is  as  lively  as  a  cricket  when  she  has  any  time  of  her  own.  What 
could  we  do  without  them  !" 

"  Without  them  !"  exclaimed  Jack,  drawing  a  deep  sigh.  "  With- 
out them!  Why,  Dick,  it's  too  awful  to  thin''  of!"  There  were 
tears  in  Jack's  eyes  now. 

"  Think  of  the  swell  folks  that  come  here  in  the  fall  to  hunt," 
said  Dick,  to  divert  his  brother's  thoughts.     "  Let  me  see  ;  last  fall 


aMwiHMfea>i!iwiiimimiiiiii>>iitrt«itiu»iTfftmtm^ 


28 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


we  had  a  judge,  an  attorney  general,  an  editor,  who  cracked  us  up 
in  his  paper;  an  author,  the  captain  of  an  English  frigate,  and  a  real 
live  lord  all  the  way  from  England.  They  made  lively  times  here, 
the  two  weeks  they  staid,  with  their  guns,  dogs  and  traps." 

•'Yes,  lively  times  for  us  to  wait  on  them,  and  for  mother  and 
father,  too.  It  tires  me  to  think  of  it ;  I  was  glad  when  they  went. 
I  couldn't  keep  track  of  my  manners  half  the  time,  and  every  one  of 
us,  from  father  down  had  to  sleep  in  the  barn  at  night  to  make  room 
for  them." 

"  But  what  fun  there  was  that  night,  when  the  wildcat,  getting  a 
smell  of  that  mutton  in  the  cellar,  fell  down  the  window  and  right 
under  the  whole  crowd,  and  set  up  a  caterwauling  that  made  them 
think  that  the  Goliah  of  cats  had  got  into  their  rooms,"  Dick  replied, 

"Yes!"  said  Jack,  promptly,  and  grinning  broadly,  *' and  what  a 
frolic  we  had  when  we  came  out  of  the  barn  and  saw  that  all  of  them 
had  run  out  doors  in  their  night  clothes  and  stood  there  in  the  moon- 
light looking  like  ghosts.  And  what  a  touse  they  made  over  you 
when  you  went  down  into  the  cellar  and  shot  the  wildcat." 

"  Well,  I  didn't  feel  funny  a  bit  after  I  got  into  the  cellar  and  saw 
the  glare  of  those  two  eyes.  I  knew  that  if  the  shot  missed,  the 
creature  would  be  after  me  like  a  streak  of  lightning.  You  know 
I'm  not  fond  of  fighting  wildcats,  only  when  I  can  bait  a  cod-hook 
with  mutton  and  hang  it  to  the  limb  of  a  tree,  and  go  in  the  morning 
and  find  the  wildcat  hanging  there  like  a  fish  on  a  pole.  It's  easy 
shooting  them  after  they  are  hanged." 

'  How  like  boys  those  fellows  acted  the  next  day.  when  they  put 
the  skin  of  your  cat  up  at  auction  and  knocked  it  down  to  Lord 
Lendholm  for  two  pounds,  ten.  I  suppose  that  that  skin  is  in  Eng- 
land now,  and  that  they  tell  about  you  every  time  the  skin  is 
shown." 

"  Oh,  take  a  new  tack.  Jack  ;  you  make  me  feel  like  a  fool,  just 
as  they  did  when  they  made  me  take  the  money.  But  they  were  all 
jolly  good  fellows,  and  made  themselves  as  mi...ii  at  home  in  our 
close  quarters  as  if  they  had  lived  in  our  style  all  their  days.  But 
they  didn't  know  what  to  make  of  it  when  father  and  mother  refused 


nttmutmmtmtumtuUMttu 


mmmm 


r*tn:-7«!r'.*r<Mi. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


29 


to  take  any  pay  when  they  went  away,  and  invited  them  to  come 
again,  and  when  they  tried  to  shove  their  money  upon  us  and  we 
told  them  that  father  and  mother  were  good  hands  to  copy  after, 
they  looked  as  funny  as  sheep  that  have  *een  soused  in  cold  water." 

"  Guess  they  thought  there  were  some  Americans  that  could  turn 
their  backs  on  money  when  they  wanted  to,"  commented  jack,  toss- 
ing his  curls  behind  his  back  with  a  proud  shake  jf  his  head.  "  But 
they  sent  a  pile  of  books  and  knick-knacks  to  us  as  soon  as  they  got 
back  tc  Halifax,  and  that  is  where  they  cornered  us." 

"  Buc  the  books  were  nice  ones;  they  reminded  me  of  the  gentle- 
men themselves — they  were  lively  without  being  either  coarse 
or  vulgar."  - 

The  long  blast  of  a  conch  shell  interrupted  the  conversation,  and 
caused  Jack  to  exclaim  :  "  That's  mother,  blowing  for  the  fish  ;  now 
let's  stir  our  pegs.     But  what  shall  we  carry  up?" 

••  The  cunners  and  crabs,"  Dick  replied.  "  It  won't  take  so  long 
to  cook  them  as  it  will  the  others.  The  mackerel,  cod  and  lobsters 
will  keep  fresh  till  they  are  wanted." 

With  a  gaff  he  hooked  from  the  basin  what  he  wanted,  and  with 
Jack,  hastened  up  to  the  house,  which  was  a  low-roofed,  seven- 
roomed,  unfinished  cottage,  built  upon  a  hillside,  where  it  commanded 
an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  stormy  Atlantic.  There  was  not  a 
shrub  nor  a  tree  near  it,  but  only  rocks,  rocks  everywhere. 

Black  Point,  on  which  the  Melvilles  lived,  was  the  most  desolate 
and  lonely  spot  in  southern  Nova  Scotia.  Without  a  harbor,  in- 
fested with  fogs,  surrounded  with  breakers  and  beset  with  deceitful 
currents,  it  was  hated  and  shunned  of  all  mariners.  Many  a  vessel 
had  been  wt^ecked  there.  The  short,  stub-nosed  end  of  the  point 
was  flanked  at  the  base  with  long  beaches  of  the  whitest  of  sand,  on 
which  the  surf  beat  with  an  incessant  roar.  The  back  of  the  point 
ended  in  crooked  lagoons,  treacherous  marshes,  deep  bogs  and 
deadly  quicksands,  all  surrounded  with  low,  stunted,  tangled  thickets 
of  fir,  spruce,  maple  and  black  birch,  making  the  lurking-places  of 
foxes,  wildcats,  or  Canadian  lynx,  and  the  few  wolves  and  bears  that 
found  their  way  there  from  the  north. 


uumntuu'.!iiiiiiii nu.^ti*-j*.f».^^^ 


30 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


; 


The  nearest  postoffice  was  eight  miles  distant,  and  was  reached 
by  the  merest  apology  for  a  road,  or,  when  the  weather  permitted, 
by  boat  around  Port  Mouton  Head.  The  family  mail  was  brought 
by  Dick  and  Jack  once  a  month  ;  if  it  came  oftener.  it  was  by  court- 
esy of  some  casual  visitor. 

The  neighbors,  already  mentioned  by  the  boys,  require  a  word 
more.  Wallace,  who,  with  his  family  of  five,  lived  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  Melvilles,  was  not  a  bad  Scotchman,  though  some- 
what overproud  of  his  nativity  and  of  his  countrymen.  With  his 
oatmeal,  his  Burns  and  his  Bible,  he  defied  the  fates,  and  lived  an 
easy,  shiftless,  talkative  sort  of  a  life.  He  amused  Mr,  Melville,  but 
his  uncouth  dialect,  shared  in  by  his  children,  was  a  sore  trial  to 
the  boys. 

Wagner,  a  Hollander,  with  his  family  of  six,  lived  a  mile  and  a 
half  distant,  at  the  head  of  a  small  cove.  Nothing  in  the  world 
could  induce  him  to  do  a  regular  day's  work,  yet  when  there  was  a 
wreck  near,  he  would  court  any  danger  to  get  his  share  of  the  prey. 
His  house  was  full  of  stuff  gathered  from  the  sea.  He  had  learned 
just  English  enough  to  make  himself  barely  understood  by  English 
speaking  people.  He  lived  within  his  cove  like  a  spider  in  its  web, 
and  there  were  whispers  along  the  coast  that  he  and  Mingo  were  in- 
strumental in  luring  more  than  one  vessel  to  destruction  for  the  sake 
of  plunder.  •     '    -  ' 

Mingo,  the  Frenchman,  with  his  wife  and  two  flashy  daughters, 
living  in  an  opposite  direction  from  that  of  the  Wagners,  were  a  mile 
and  a  quarter  from  the  Melvilles.  They  had  no  visible  means  of 
support,  and  hence,  were  also  under  the  inspection  of  the  customs  as 
suspicious  characters. 

Occasionally,  these  three  men  would  meet  iu  ihe  Melville  family, 
and  then  it  was  Babel  over  again  on  a  small  scale,  while  Dick  and 
Jack  looked  on  and  listened  as  though  they  were  attending  a  high- 
priced  comedy. 

Mr.  Melville,  himself,  was  a  Southerner,  and  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  in  his  own  way  an  oddity.  Although  he  inherited  slaves 
in  the  South,  he  set  them  free  at  the  earliest  practicable  moment 


wmmmm 


mmmmm 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


31 


after  they  came  into  his  possession.  Educated  for  a  lawyer,  he  for- 
sook that  profession  and  became  an  evangelist,  and  finally  a  pastor. 
Drifting  from  North  Carolina  to  Maine,  he  afterward  floated  over  the 
Bay  of  Fundy  into  Nova  Scotia,  where,  after  serving  as  pastor  for 
several  years,  he  suddenly  dropped  down  upon  Black  Point  with  a 
determination  to  transform  its  surroundings  into  the  means  of  wealth. 
And,  being  an  American,  full  of  energy  and  expedients,  and  free  to 
talk  of  his  great  expectations,  his  friends  caught  his  enthusiasm  and 
believed  that  he  would  succeed. 

Although  the  Melville  house  was  so  far  removed  from  settlements 
visitors  were  numerous  and  varied,  some  coming  by  boat  and  some 
on  horseback,  but  most  on  foot.  The  men  on  horseback,  who  were 
mostly  men  of  means  and  leisure,  came  from  curiosity,  or  to  hunt 
and  fish;  but  the  scattered  fisher-folk  along  the  shore,  hearing  that 
the  American  could  turn  his  hand  to  almost  anything,  resorted  to 
him  on  all  sorts  of  errands.  Some  came  with  bad  consciences  that 
needed  soothing  ;  some  with  legal  quarrels  they  wanted  advice  on  ; 
some  with  bad  teeth  that  needed  to  be  filled  or  pulled ;  some  with 
clocks  or  watches  to  be  mended,  and  others  with  diseases  they  be- 
lieved he  could  cure.  More  than  once  he  was  asked  to  officiate  at 
the  birth  of  a  child,  and  frequently  he  was  called  upon  to  walk  long 
distances  to  attend  a  funeral  or  to  conduct  revival  services  in  out-of- 
the-way  hamlets,  .         ' 

His  library,  which  was  in  the  family  sitting-room,  and  which  was 
quite  extensive,  contained  not  only  skeletons  of  sermons  and  other 
dry  and  dead  things  connected  with  theology,  but  it  was  also  well 
supplied  with  books  on  medicine,  dentistry,  mechanics  and  clock  mend- 
ing. And  there  were  tools  and  bottles  on  the  shelves  to  meet  the 
varied  demands  made  upon  him. 

He  never  charged  for  services  rendered,  and  so  seldom  received 
any  reward  he  had  no  difficulty  in  pacifying  his  conscience  for  aban- 
doning the  pastorate  and  seeking  money  at  Black  Point.  In  his  own 
way  he  was  all  things  to  all  men,  if  by  any  means  he  might  save  some 
from  their  inconveniences  and  troubles.  He  would  say  :  "  People 
have  bodies  as  well  as  souls,  and  if  the  ship  is  kept  from  getting 


....^i..  .  ..Li.ii^pm 


<^Htttmitut.tehtitftTti  nn- 


32 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


leaky  there  will  be  a  better  chance  of  its  cargo  reaching  the  t.  ther 
shore  in  some  sort  of  shape," 

The  stay  of  visitors  was  governed  by  the  errands  on  which  they 
came.  If  one  brought  a  clock  to  be  mended  he  stayed  till  it  was 
able  to  go  away  with  him  ;  or  if  one  came  to  fish  and  shoot  he  re- 
mained till  he  got  tired  and  then  departed  in  peace. 

One  thing  Mr.  Melville  would  not  do — he  never  allowed  his  books 
to  go  gadding  about  the  country,  though  his  visitors  often  solicited 
their  company.  His  library  was  handled  by  his  children  as  freely  as 
it  was  by  himself,  and  he  meant  that  during  the  tedious  storms  and 
the  long  evenings,  and  the  longer  Sundays,  no  vacant  spaces  on  the 
shelves  should  disappoint  their  search  for  whatever  they  took  a  fancy 
to,  for  their  fancy  was  not  always  confined  to  "  Pilgrim's  Progress," 
"  Robinson  Crusoe,"  "  Peter  Parley's  Tales,"  or  "  Mother  Goose's 
Melodies,"  and  the  hymn  book  and  Homer's  "  Iliad";  it  reached  as 
far  as  the  skeleton  sermons  and  commentaries  and  all  the  other 
books  that  treated  of  other  kinds  of  tinkering.  And  thus  it  hap- 
pened that  Dick  and  Jack,  from  frequent  handling  of  the  books, 
could  speak  as  glibly  of  titles  and  authors  as  many  old  boys  do  of 
titles  and  authors  whose  subjects  and  learning  they  have  never  so 
much  as  dipped  into.  Of  cou-se.  they  couldn't  sink  their  lines  into 
them  as  deeply  as  they  sunk  their  cod-lines  into  the  sea;  hence, 
they  only  played  with  them,  as  they  sometimes  took  their  dory  and 
played  with  the  surf  rolling  in  upon  the  beach.  - 

Well,  the  very  sight  of  books  is  educating  to  a  certain  extent,  and 
the  more  there  are  in  a  house,  the  better  it  is  for  all  who  live  in  the 
house.  Books  are  the  spirits  of  the  great — the  kind  of  spirits  it  is 
good  to  be  familiar  with. 


»^»,  •  ■«■  ~N 


^7^X7 


ef  ■• 


J^iJ^iA 


AN  unwelcomp:  visitor 

HE  dyke  and  canal  were 
both   finished,   and   the* 
drainage   was  so   com- 
plete, the  salt  meadows 
only  needed  to  be  seed- 
ed down  with  clover  and 
timothy  to  change  them 
into  rich  fresh  meadows. 
A  strong  sea-wall   was 
also  built  to  protect  the 
low  land  in  front  of  the 
cottage,  and  where,  be- 
fore, there  was  a  sodden, 
unsightly  bog.  there  was 
now  a  beautiful  plat  of 
green  grass.     This  plat 
Dick   and    Jack    called 
Culpepper    Meadow,   after  "  Nicholas   Culpepper. 
Gent.,  student  in  physic  and  astrology."  whose  odd 
botanical  book  they  had  often  searched  for  the 
names  of  the  curious  wild  plants  they  found  upon 
'  Black  Point,  and  on  the  marshes  and  among  the 
"■      •■■-.  jungles  around  them.  •••■ 

The  boys  had  built  two  fish-houses,  and  with  the  aid  of  the  Scot, 
had  constructed  a  stout,  dinky  whale-boat,  sharp  at  both  ends,  and 

33 


BSB 


m 


w<wmwumHm»>!igmimuift^n^^i^^ 


k^ittiUtttnuUttmuu^tr. 


34 


DICK  AND  JACKS  ADVENTURES 


broad  and  deep  in  the  middle,  and  fitted  to  ride  almost  any  sea  and 
to  go  any  distance  they  might  want  to  go  on  their  halibut  trips  among 
the  ledges  and  the  shoals  of  the  coast.  This  boat  they  called  the 
Carolina,  in  honor  of  their  father's  native  State. 

There  were  now  a  hundred  and  ten  sheep  on  the  Point,  seven  cows, 
four  calves  and  five  yoke  of  oxen.  The  summer  catch  of  halibut 
had  been  sold  to  good  advantage  in  the  early  fall  to  a  trading 
schooner,  which  made  periodical  visits  to  accessible  coves  along 
shore,  that  it  might  exchange  its  miscellaneous  stores  for  the  fish  the 
fishermen  caught  during  the  fishing  season. 

^  The  cellar,  being  well  stocked  with  provisions,  and  the  woodhouse 
filled  with  wood,  everything  was  ship-shape  for  the  coming  of  the  long 
and  tedious  winter  months.  The  boys  had  nothing  to  do  now  but 
take  their  guns  and  make  havoc  with  the  ducks  and  wild  geese  that 
flocked  into  the  coves  and  the  back  ponds  by  thousands. 

Occasionally,  they  went  fox  hunting,  for  Reynard's  fur  was  getting 
into  good  shape,  and  fox  skins,  as  well  as  wildcat  pelts,  were  as  good 
as  ready  noney.  On  these  excursions,  which  sometimes  extended 
to  the  haunts  of  the  bear,  they  were  accompanied  by  Bony,  who, 
though  he  was  of  a  very  mongrel  breed — a  dog  with  no  aristocratic 
pretensic  ns  whatever — was  as  good  at  hunting  as  he  was  at  round- 
ing up  the  cattle  and  sheep,  and  guarding  them  through  the  night 
against  the  too  near  approach  of  the  vagrant  animals  of  the  woods. 

Mr.  Melville,  not  content  to  remain  at  home  during  the  winter, 
had  planned  a  lecturing  and  revival  tour,  which  was  to  extend  from 
Yarmouth  to  Halifax,  and  continue  till  the  spring  returned.  As  this 
would  involve  more  than  two  hundred  miles  of  travel,  as  he  would 
make  it,  he  purchased  a  great  black  horse  named  Black  Prince, 
whose  mettle  was  as  good  as  his  name.  With  saddle,  saddlebags 
and  a  big  sealskin  coat,  extending  from  head  to  heels,  the  American 
was  fully  equipped  for  the  journey  that  was  to  enable  him  to  return 
with  his  saddlebags  well  weighted  with  the  coin  gathered  along 
the  way. 

The  fish  along  shore  had  already  left  the  rocks  for  winter  quarters 
In  the  deeper  waters  of  the  sea,  and  even  the  clams  were  pulling  in 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


35 


their  heads  and  burrowing  in  the  flats,  pre  jarator/  to  keeping  them- 
selves from  catching  cold  during  the  rigors  of  winter.  The  ravens 
and  the  gulls  croaked  and  shrieked  their  discontent  at  these  ar- 
rangements, for  the  clam:  and  the  small  fish  were  their  mainstay 
for  food.  Th3y  flew  around  the  sheep  and  cattle,  and  doubtless 
wished  that  they  were  dead,  so  that  the  chances  for  pickings  might 
be  multiplied. 

There  were  few  indications  of  life  about  Darling  Rock  now,  but 
Dick  and  Jack  were  down  there  one  mellow  October  afternoon 
watching  the  ships  go  by,  and  counting  the  number  of  sail  they  could 
see.  High  up  in  the  sky,  there  were  a  few  thin  sheep-clouds  scamp- 
ering about  the  field  of  blue,  while  below  there  was  so  little  wind  the 
whitecaps  were  hidden  away,  and  the  lazy  waves  scarcely  broke  as 
they  crept  among  the  rocks  or  rolled  up  the  beach  among  the  seals 
that  were  basking  in  the  sun. 

"  It's  all  very  fine  !"  said  Dick,  :fter  taking  a  professional  look  at 
sky  and  sea,  "  but  when  the  gulls  go  up  to  play  with  the  sheep-clouds 
there's  mischief  afloat,  and  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  go  the 
rounds  and  make  everything  snug  and  tight." 

"Yes,"  Jack  responded,  "for  the  rocks  are  moaning,  the  sand- 
pipers are  whistling  warnings  to  one  another,  and  the  ducks  and  wild 
geese  are  leaving  the  sea  and  flying  inland."  He  was  quite  as 
weatherwise  as  his  brother,  thanks  to  the  tuition  of  the  canny  old 
Scotchman,  who  was  a  whole  weather  bureau  in  himself. 

At  the  fishing  cove  they  met  their  father,  who,  sniffing  a  storm, 
was  going  the  rounds  for  himself.  The  three  put  the  two  fish-houses 
in  order,  and  then,  with  the  aid  of  block  and  pully,  ran  their  three 
boats  up  the  skids  to  the  top  of  the  cobble-beach  where  they  would 
be  safe  from  the  highest  tide  and  the  farthest-reaching  waves. 

An  hour  later  the  wind  suddenly  shifted  to  the  southeast,  bringing 
with  it  gray  clouds  that  soon  shut  out  every  vestige  of  blue  sky.  By 
early  evening  the  wind  had  increased  to  a  gale ;  the  flying  spray 
dashed  against  the  cottage  windows  in  sheets,  and  the  loose  rocks 
along  the  shore  were  being  tossed  about  as  if  they  were  chips,  and 
with  a  noise  that  sounded  like  a  fusillade  of  musketry.     But  as  there 


: .'i.  i.-vpis-i 


'iittttiiiiiiti^ 


36 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


was  nothing  alarming  in  the  strength  of  the  gale,  the  family  retired 
to  rest  at  the  usual  time,  thankful  that  they  were  not  tossing  upon  the 
sea  on  board  some  belated  vessel. 

Just  as  they  had  gotten  fairly  asleep  there  was  a  thunderous  knock 
at  the  front  door,  followed  immediately  after  by  th*^  shout  of  the 
Scotchman,  saying:  "  Dominie  !  dominie !  the  de'il's  to  pay.  an'  ye 
maun  come  out  an' put  Mm  to  flight!"  - 

"What  do  you  mean,  Wallace?"  asked  Mr.  Melville,  as  soon  as 
he  could  open  the  door  and  let  the  drenched  Scotchman  into  the 
presence  of  the  alarmed  family. 

"  Look  yon!"  said  Wallace,  opening  the  door  again,  and  pointing 
to  a  brilliant  light  shining  on  Port  Mouton  Head,  where  no  earthly 
light  had  any  business  to  be  at  that  hour  of  the  night, 

"What  do  you  make  of  that?"  asked  Melville,  more  than  half 
inclined  4o  think  that  it  was  something  supernatural,  or  at  least  phe- 
nominally  electrical. 

"  Gin  ye'll  come  wi'  me  I'll  show  ye  anither,"  said  Wallace,  not 
that  he  had  seen  another,  but  because,  like  all  other  Scotchmen,  he 
was  quick  to  reason  from  one  thing  to  another,  and  he  argued  in  his 
own  mind  that  the  light  war.  put  there  for  a  decoy,  and  that  there 
would  be  another  on  Port  Jolli  Head  to  complete  the  snare. 

"  I  see  what  you  are  driving  at/'  said  Melville,  gritting  his  teeth 
with  wrath,  "and  yet  it  can  hardly  be  possible.  Boys,"  he  added, 
speaking  to  Dick  and  Jack,  "  dress  yourselves  for  work,  and  get  your 
guns  and  go  with  us."  And  he  immediately  put  on  storm  clothes 
himself,  and  tucked  a  brace  of  pistols  under  his  heavy  overcoat,  after 
satisfying  himself  that  the  Scotchman  was  armed  for  any  emergency. 

Leaving  the  trembling  family  behind,  they  went  down  to  the  ex- 
treme end  of  Black  Point,  from  which  position  they  could  see  an- 
other clear  light  blazing  on  Little  Port  Jolli  Head. 

"  The  devils!"  exclaimed  Melville,  for  it  was  now  clearly  evident 
that  the  two  lights  had  been  set  to  make  it  appear  that  the  open 
space  Uetween  them  was  the  entrance  to  a  harbor,  so  that  if  there 
was  any  vessel  near  seeking  refuge  she  would  enter  the  gap  and  en- 
counter sure  destruction  on  Devil's  Ledge  or  on  Black  Point  itself. 


ii  " 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


37 


"  Dinna  stay  to  swear,  dominie."  said  Wallace,  but  let  us  gang 
twa  an'  twa,  in  Screepture  fashion,  an'  quench  the  bleeze." 

Melville  saw  at  once  what  the  man's  plan  was,  and  he  said, 
anxiously:  "  But  there  may  be  a  half  dozen  aYmed  desperadoes 
around  each  fire,  and  what  could  two  do  with  such  scoundrels?" 

"Na,  na!  dinna  tear;  they'll  no  stay  there,  but  will  be  in  bed 
makin'  believe  that  they  are  sleepin'  thae  sleep  o'  thae  just.  'We' 11 
gae  like  foxes,  an'  whin  we've  put  the  fires  out  we'll  back  to  hame 
and  bed  again,  an'  sleep  a'  thae  better  for  our  walk." 

"Then  what's  the  use  of  taking  our  guns?"  asked  Dick,  ^hose 
blood  being  up,  was  not  so  readily  cooled. 

'•  Dinna  tajh  versel'  aboot  that !  ye  ken  the  guns  will  Keep  thae 
coorage  in  our  banes  ;  sae  let's  away.  Ye' 11  gang  wi'  your  father  to 
thae  Mingo  side,  an'  Jack  will  gae  wi'  me  to  thae  Wagner  side  ;  it's 
time  thae  lights  were  quenched." 

When  Dick  and  his  father  reached  the  Catherine's  river  end  of 
Port  lolli  beach,  the  little  skiff  they  kept  there  for  ferry  purposes 
was  gone ;  the  men  who  kindled  the  lights  had  taken  good  care  to 
guard  themselves  against  intrusion  from  the  Melville  side  of  the 
beach.  The  dyke  was  some  distance  up  the  river ;  Dick  and  his 
father  moved  in  that  direction,  intending  to  cross  that  way,  but  the 
marshes  were  so  dieply  flooded  all  progress  was  barred.  If  the  tide 
had  been  out,  there  might  have  been  a  chance  to  ford  the  stream  by 
way  of  the  sand  shallows,  but  the  tide,  being  at  two-thirds  flood, 
nothing  remained  but  to  return  as  they  came. 

On  reaching  home,  they  found  Jack  and  Wallace  sitting  by  the 
''reside.  Their  report  was  identical  with  that  made  by  Dick  and  his 
father;  they  had  crossed  Kempton's  beach,  which  was  divided  from 
Port  Mouton  Head  by  a  small  stream,  and  when  they  reached  the 
crossing,  the  skiff  kept  there  was  also  missing,  and  the  waves  were 
rolling  up  the  shallows  of  the  river  with  such  force,  it  was  impossible 
to  find  a  fording  among  the  quicksands.  So  here  they  were  again, 
with  nothing  to  do  but  to  nurse  their  wrath.  Both  lights  were  still 
brightly  burning,  which  showed  that  from  the  first  they  were  started 
with  solid  barrels  of  rosin.     Dick  proposed  that  hey  light  the  lant- 


■TT?SlWWWfWW»PW—Wfim|| 


ill 


38 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


erns  and  go  to  Darling  Rock  and  wave  them  by  way  of  warning ;  to 
this  Wallace  validly  objected  that  the  lanterns  would  be  taken  for 
vessel  lights,  and  so  would  increase  the  danger  to  any  vessel  that 
might  be  in  the  offing.  Being  uneasy,  Dick  went  out  and  watched 
the  sea  from  the  front  of  the  house.  He  had  been  out  but  a  few 
moments,  when  he  rushed  in.  saying: 

"Rockets  are  going  up  from  Devil's  Ledge  !" 

Nor  was  the  alarm  a  false  one.  When  the  others  reached  the 
door  they  saw  the  rockets  that  were  being  sent  up  from  the  direction 
of  the  ledge.  The  false  lights  had  wrought  their  mission,  and  a  crew 
of  men  were  in  the  jaws  of  a  danger  which  made  escape  seem  almost 
impcssible.  Nevertheless,  Melville  promptly  said :  "  We  must 
launch  the  Carolina  and  try  to  reach  them  from  the  cove.  Mother, 
you  must  take  a  lantern  and  stand  at  the  south  arm  of  the  cove  to 
keep  our  bearings  for  us." 

"  Yes,"  she  said  quietly,  and  at  once  began  her  preparations. 

There  were  no  life-saving  stations  along  the  shore  then,  but  Mel- 
ville and  Wallace,  and  Dick  and  Jack  were  all  sturdy  rowers,  and 
terrible  as  was  the  task  before  them,  there  was  no  shrinking.  The 
dinky  was  soon  afloat,  and  then  began  the  struggle.  Once  out  of 
the  shelter  of  the  cove,  the  wind  being  dead  on  shore,  they  had  to 
go  into  the  very  tdeth  of  the  storm.  But  they  made  headway,  and 
were  slowly  forging  beyond  the  foam-line  of  the  shore,  when  Mel- 
ville shouted  to  Jack :  "  Rest  your  oar  while  we  hold  ahead,  and  see 
if  you  can  make  the  vessel  out." 

Promptly  obeying,  Jack,  after  a  swift  survey,  said :  "  It's  a  bark  ; 
foremast  gone ;  and,  by  Jove !  she's  gone  over  the  ledge  and  is 
drifting  straight  for  the  beach,  which  she  will  strike  not  far  from 
Darling  Rock." 

"  Very  gude  !"  shouted  Wallace  ;  "  she'll  gae  on  at  the  top  of  the 
tide,  an'  if  thae  men  hae  kep'  thae  decks  thus  far  they'll  hae  Ian' 
aneath  their  feet  in  less  than  an  hour.  But  it's  death  for  us  to  try 
to  follow  her  in  the  surf  o'  the  beach.  Nor  can  we  turn  aboot  In 
this  sea.     Back  now,  stern-foremost,  for  thae  cove  again.    Catch  no 


^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


39 


crabs  wi'  thae  oars ;  if  we  swing  broadside  to  this  sea,  we'll  be  thae 
shipwracked  anas." 

And,  so  holding  their  head  steadily  to  the  in-sweeping  sea,  and 
keeping  a  sharp  eye  upon  the  lantern  glimmering  upon  the  rocks 
astern,  they  backed  to  the  cove  in  safety.  Mrs.  Melville  was  drip- 
ping with  the  spray  that  had  dashed  over  her  during  the  watch. 
After  seeing  her  back  to  the  cottage,  the  others  took  her  lantern  and 
another  one  with  it  and  hurried  to  the  beach.  The  bark  had  already 
struck,  and,  lying  broadside-on,  the  surf  made  a  clean  sweep  over 
her.  Seeing  the  lanterns  on  shore,  and  gathering  courage  there- 
from, those  on  board  fastened  a  strong  rope  to  an  empty  water-cask, 
to  which  was  joined  a  lighter  endless  line  by  a  sliding  loop.  When 
the  cask  reached  the  beach,  the  stronger  line  was  staked  strongly  in 
the  sand,  while  the  lighter  one  was  pulled  ashore,  and  the  action  of 
it,  between  the  vessel  and  the  beach,  was  such  that  in  less  than  half 
an  hour  the  whole  crew  —fourteen  men — stood  on  the  beach  unin- 
jured, though  chilled  to  the  bone  with  the  drenching  they  had 
received. 

"  What  place  is  this?"  asked  the  captain,  the  moment  he  landed, 
he  being  the  last  to  arrive. 

•'  Black  Point,"  said  Melville,  knowing  the  rest  that  was  coming. 

"And  those  lights -what's  the  meaning  of  them?"  this,  angrily. 

"  It  means  that  the  devil  and  his  minions  have  been  at  work." 

"  May  hell's  curse  blight  them  in  mind  and  body." 

"Amen!"  responded  Melville,  solemnly,  yet  heartily.  "What 
vessel  is  that  ?"  he  added. 

"  The  bark  America,  bound  from  Boston  to  St.  Johns,  Newfound- 
land, with  an  assorted  cargo  of  notions  and  general  merchandise. 
Thank  heaven !  we've  come  ashore  in  such  shape  that  not  a  scrap 
of  cargo  will  reach  the  devils  who  lured  us  here.  And  if  any 
attempt  is  made  to  pillage  us.  we'll  bury  the  thieves  and  would-be 
murderers  alive.'" 

"  Amen!  to  that,  too,"  exclaimed  Melville. promptly.  "  I  am  an 
American,  and  a  clergyman  ;  my  name  is  Melville.     We  started  in 


»tt«i»mtr<*f 


46 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURE. 


/ 


our  boat  for  the  ledge,  but  seeing  that  Providence  was  ahead  of  us, 
put  back  to  shore  and  hastened  to  meet  you  here." 

"  And  my  name  is  John  Doane,  of  Salem,  at  your  service  ;  I'm 
deuced  glad  to  know  that  there  are  saints  here  as  well  as  devils. 
But  for  a  high  wave,  that  carried  us  off  the  ledge  before  we  cracked 
our  keel,  we  should  now  be  at  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  you,  too, 
I  fear,  for  your  boat  could  not  have  lived  through  such  a  sea  as  was 
running  shoreward.  It  was  a  brave  thing  for  four  men  to  attempt." 
As  yet  he  had  not  discovered  that  two  of  the  crew  were  mere  boys, 

"We'll  not  speak  of  that  now,"  said  Mr.  Melville,  uncomfortably. 
"  My  sons  will  take  you  to  my  house,  where  you  can  dry  yourselves, 
while  we  watch  here  till  daybreak.  The  bark  lies  easy,  and  with  the 
going  out  of  the  tide,  she'll  be  so  high  and  dry  you  can  board  her 
without  wetting  your  feet." 

"  Ye'll  no  tek  a'  the  men  to  brek  your  leddy's  back,"  said  Wal- 
lace, bluntly.     "  Gie  me  half  o'  the  men." 

"  Are  there  only  two  houses  here  ?"  asked  the  captain. 

"That's  all,  but  we  can  make  you  very  comfortable,"  Melville 
replied. 

"  You  are  very  good,  and  we'll  avail  ourselves  of  your  offer ;  but 
our  bark  is  In  such  good  shape,  though  she'll  never  float  again,  that 
we  can  go  on  board  of  her  as  soon  as  this  surf  is  lower,  and  live  there 
as  if  nothing  had  happened." 

The  wreckers  were  foiled;  their  itching  fingers  couldn't  touch  so 
much  as  a  scrap  of  the  wrecked  vessel's  cargo  ;  and  the  captain 
swore  that  if  there  was  any  justice  in  Nova  Scotia  they'd  be  hunted 
down  and  shut  up  for  life. 

The  storm  was  not  only  an  unwelcome  visitor  to  the  men  of  the 
bark,  but  It  brought  disaster  to  Mr.  Melville.  On  the  next  tide  the 
gale  increased  in  fury.  The  stone  wall  in  front  of  the  cottage  was 
swept  away,  and  rocks  as  big  as  barrels  rolled  in  and  destroyed  the 
Culpepper  meadow.  Both  fish-houses  were  blown  over  and  the  con- 
tents washed  along  the  shore.  The  boats  were  blown  into  a  swamp. 
Later,  the  barn  blew  down,  killing  many  of  the  sheep  and  most  of 


-Si 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


41 


the  cattle.     Hay  that  was  stacked  near  the  Witch  of  Endor  was 
scattered  like  feathers. 

When  the  wind  had  spent  itself,  Dick  and  Jack  were  sent  out  to 
report  the  condition  of  the  canal  and  the  dyke,  and  came  back  say- 
ing that  the  canal  was  filled  from  one  end  to  the  other,  the  sea-wall 
of  sand  and  bush  was  blown  down  to  a  dead  level,  and  new  entrances 
inade  by  the  waves  had  carried  the  sand  in  ruinous  quantities  over 
the  marshes;  the  costly  dyke,  with  its  splendid  sluices,  was  a  wreck, 
and  there  was  an  end  of  all  the  great  expectations  cherished  for  the 
redemption  of  Black  Point  from  the  empire  of  the  sea.  There  were 
but  seventeen  sheep  left,  one  yoke  of  oxen,  and  one  cow  and  calf. 

Mr.  Melville  drew  a  deep  sigh,  when  the  boys  ended  the  cata- 
logue of  disasters,  but  made  no  complaint.  "And  where  is  Black 
Prince,"  he  finally  asked,  expecting  that  the  horse  also  had  gone  in 
the  general  wreck. 

"  Oh,  he's  up  by  the  Witch  of  Endor,  stern  to  the  wind,  and  crop- 
ping grass  as  cool  as  a  cucumber,"  said  jack,  gladly,  "  and  when  I 
went  up  to  him,  he  rubbed  his  nose  against  my  shoulder  long  enough 
to  say  '  how  d"  ye  do  ?'  and  then  went  on  eating." 

"  Well,  with  him  left,  I  can  still  carry  out  my  plans  about  my 
winter  work,"  said  Melville,  quite  cheerfully. 

'And  though  the  fish-houses  are  upset,  we  can  end  them  up 
again,  and  when  we  examined  the  boats,  we  found  them  safe  and 
sound,  for  all  they  were  dumped  in  the  swamp  like  so  many  feathers. 
We  can  skid  them  out  again  as  easy  as  dirt,  and  when  halibut  fish- 
ing comes  again.  Jack  and  1  will  pitch  in  harder  than  ever."  Seeing 
that  his  father  was  not  broken  down  by  his  misfortunes,  Dick  was  so 
immensely  relieved,  he  hastened  to  pick  up  what  few  crumbs  of 
comfort  there  were  lying  around. 

"Yes,  1  think  we'll  have  to  go  into  the  fishing  business  harder 
than  ever,"  said  his  father,  smiling.  "  it's  a  good  thing  the  sea  can- 
not blow  itself  out  of  its  own  jacket,"  he  added. 

"  And  that  no  storm  can  prevent  the  game  from  coming  back 
again,"  said  Jack.   "  There's  no  danger  of  our  starving  yet  awhile." 

"  ^'^w,  that  Black  Prince  is  safe.  Dick  will  have  to  ride  him  to 


r 


■■.■!i."iJJjii)ii"WJm.  L.^iJL 


■mrtTT 


42 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Port  Jolli,  as  soon  as  the  storm  goes  down,  and  carry  letters  for  the 
mail,"  said  Mr.  Melville,  who,  with  the  captain,  had  been  busy  writ- 
ing during  the  boys'  absence.  '•  Captain  Doane  is  anxious  to  get 
the  agents  of  his  owners  and  underwriters  here  as  soon  as  possible 
and  1  am  just  as  anxious  to  summon  the  government  officers  for  an 
investigation  into  the  cause  of  the  wreck." 

"  If  the  letters  are  ready,"  replied  Dick,  eagerly,  ••  I  can  get  off 
at  once,  and  reach  the  highway  in  time  to  meet  the  Yarmouth  mail- 
coach  up,  and  then  have  plenty  of  time  to  get  back  again  before 
night  sets  in." 

After  consultation,  it  was  decided  to  let  him  go,  and  Dick,  mounted 
on  the  great,  gaunt,  black  steed,  disappeared  into  the  gray  mists,  and 
accomplished  his  important  errand  without  a  mishap. 

When  the  agents  came,  it  was  seen  that  it  was  too  late  in  the 
season  to  think  of  transferring  cargo  to  other  vessels.  The  sailors 
were  returned  to  their  homes,  while  Captain  Doane  and  his  first 
officer  made  arrangements  to  winter  on  board  as  keepers  of  the 
bark,  and  as  witnesses,  in  case  the  law  found  anyone  to  indict  for 
causing  the  wreck. 

The  Frenchman  and  the  Hollander  were  arrested  for  the  crime, 
but  as  no  direct  evidence  could  be  obtained  against  them,  they  were 
discharged,  after  being  in  prison  six  months.  After  their  liberation, 
they  and  their  families  disappeared  from  their  old  haunts,  and  by  the 
Melvllles,  were  never  heard  of  afterward. 


'M 


NSTEAD  of  desponding  over 
his  losses,  Mr.  Melville  departed 
on  his  lecturing  and  preaching 
tour  in  the  best  of  spirits.  When 
he  returned  in  the  spring  he  re- 
versed his  saddlebags  over  the 
table  and  poured  out  $367.00  in 
sliver  and  gold. 

"There,  mother,"  said  he, 
"  you  see  that  the  gift  of  gab  isn't  a  bad  thing  to  have,  providing 
you  don't  make  folk  so  sick  of  it  that  they  become  perfectly  willing 

43 


r 


44 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


n 


that  you  should  have  that— and  that  alone.  I  have  had  one  of  the 
most  pleasant  tours  I  ever  made.  Most  of  the  people  had  read  of 
our  misfortunes  in  the  papers,  and  !  am  more  indebted  to  their  sym- 
pathy for  this  money  than  I  am  to  my  own  ability  in  lecturing  and 
preaching.  Their  kindness  was  extended  to  Black  Prince,  who  v/as 
so  constantly  fed  on  oats  by  my  entertainers,  that  I  was  afraid  his 
coltish  antics  would  destroy  what  little  ministerial  reputation  I  had 
left.  In  Halifax  he  carried  himself  so  high  the  officers  of  the  garri- 
son made  the  most  tempting  offers  for  him,  and  Mr.  Uniacke,  one 
of  the  gentlemen  hunting  here  at  the  time  Dick  shot  the  wildcat  in 
the  cellar,  offered  me  my  own  price  for  him." 

"  !  would  rather  have  had  you  come  home  without  the  money  than 
without  Black  Prince,"  Dick  confessed,  candidly. 

'*  Why,  you  wouldn't  sell  him  any  more  than  you  would  sell  sister 
Mary,  would  you  ?"  said  Jack,  earnestly.  "  He's  the  only  hand- 
some thing  we've  got  on  Black  Point.  If  oats  will  make  such  an 
improvement  in  me  I'll  go  to  eating  them  right  away."  Jack  wasn't 
naturally  partial  to  porridge. 

"  We  need  the  horse  to  go  for  the  mail,"  Mrs.  Melville  said,  in 
her  practical  way.  "  Every  time  the  boys  make  that  dismal  journey 
I  am  on  nettles  till  they  get  back.  Fourteen  miles  on  foot,  counting 
both  ways,  is  too  dear  a  price  to  pay  for  any  papers  or  letters  we 
happen  to  get." 

"  Oh,  no,  mother!"  Dick  exclaimed.  "  How  could  we  have  got- 
ten along  through  the  long  winter  without  hearing  from  father,  and 
getting  news  from  the  world  besides  ?" 

"  Black  Prince  seems  to  be  of  almost  as  much  account  as  I  am." 
laughed  Mr.  Melville,  "  but  let  me  say  that  I  have  as  good  opinions 
of  him  as  the  rest  of  you,  and  there  is  little  danger  of  him  leaving  uo 
unless  he  takes  a  notion  to  run  away  of  his  own  accord.  And  now, 
to  change  the  subject,  how  are  Captain  Doane  and  his  mate  ?  They 
must  have  had  a  very  tedious  winter." 

••  They  are  both  well,  but  they  thought  It  tedious  enough,  when 
they  had  to  go  to  court  as  witnesses,  though  they  said  they'd  be  will- 
ing to  walk  a  hundred  miles  if  their  evidence  would  convict  the 


It.:i» 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


45 


wreckers.  When  they  got  back  they  said  you  must  be  awfully  stucK 
on  Black  Point  and  Nova  Scotia,  to  be  willing  to  live  here  with  such 
winters  as  we  have.  The  mate  says  he  would  rather  live  in  prison 
in  the  States  than  to  live  out  of  jail  here."  Dick  took  great  satis- 
faction in  making  this  dig  at  Black  Point. 

"  The  boys  spent  a  good  many  of  their  evenings  with  the  officers 
in  their  cabin,"  Mrs.  Melville  said,  "and  the  captain  and  his  mate 
told  them  a  good  many  things  about  their  voyages  and  the  United 
States." 

"Yes,  they  are  as  full  of  the  States  as  you  are,  father,"  said 
Dick. 

"  I  dare  say,"  responded  Mr.  Melville,  rubbing  his  black,  up-stand- 
ing hair,  while  mischievous  twinkles  chased  one  another  through  his 
sharp,  dark  eyes.  "  I  hope  they  didn't  make  rebels  of  you;  being 
born  in  Nova  Scotia  makes  you  English  subjects,  you  know." 

"  But  haven't  you  told  us,"  Dick  exclaimed,  "  that,  being  born  of 
American  parents,  who  never  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  here,  we 
have  the  right  to  say  that  we  are  American  subjects?" 

"  That  is  correct,  too,  and  you  can  claim  the  protection  of  either 
flag;  it  isn't  everyone  who  can  claim  that  privilege." 

"  I'd  rather  be  one  thing,  and  let  it  go  at  that;  I  claim  the  stars 
and  stripes,"  said  Jack,  loftily. 

"We've  been  taking  lessons  while  you  were  away,"  Dick  said, 
looking  at  his  father  mischievously.  "  Captain  Doane  says  that  his 
bark  is  still  under  American  protection,  and,  though  he  didn't  believe 
in  playing  the  smarty,  he  had  the  right  to  raise  the  flag  over  his 
vessel,  for  all  she  is  perched  high  and  dry  on  English  land.  She 
isn't  condemned  yet,  and  he  was  so  lonesome,  every  pleasant  Sun- 
day Jack  and  I  would  go  down  there,  and  then  the  bunting  went  up 
to  the  mizzen-peak,  and  we  four  would  stand  on  the  quarter-deck  and 
sing  '  America.' 

"  I  respect  the  English  flag,  for  it  is  the  flag  of  the  mother  of 
America,  but  it  doesn't  thrill  me  like  the  stars  and  stripes.  Every 
time  we  ran  that  flag  up,  it  made  me  feel  as  if  I  wanted  to  breathe 
clear  down  to  my  toes,  and  to  lift  my  head  two  or  three  Inches 


't^mtmum 


46 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


higher.  It  doesn't  make  me  feel  like  bragging,  but  it  does  make  me 
feel  as  if  I  wanted  to  do  something  that  was  worth  bragging  about." 

"  The  captain  laughed  to  see  how  much  we  enjoyed  hoisting  the 
flag,"  said  Jack,  "  but  he  wasn't  making  fun  of  us ;  for  even  when  he 
was  laughing  at  us  one  Sunday,  I  saw  him  wipe  his  eyes,  and  blow 
his  nose,  and  turn  his  head,  as  if  he  didn't  want  us  to  see  him." 

"  But  I  watched  him,"  interrupted  Dick,  "  and  seeing  him  shak- 
ing about  the  giils,  I  began  to  get  kind  of  queer  myself." 

"  You  see,  mother,  that  blood  will  tell,"  Mr.  Melville  remarked,  in 
a  musing  sort  of  way. 

"  So  it  seems,"  was  the  reply. 

During  the  weeks  that  followed,  the  bark  was  emptied  of  her 
cargo,  stripped  of  her  rigging  and  abandoned  to  her  fate.  While 
the  work  was  going  on,  Dick  and  Jack  were  well  paid  for  assisting, 
for  their  acquaintance  with  the  surf,  with  the  effects  of  the  wind  and 
tide,  and  with  all  the  shoals  near,  made  their  services  very  valuable 
to  the  agents. 

When  the  captain  left,  he  said  to  the  boys  more  in  earnest  than  in 
jest :  "  The  bark  is  yours  boys  as  long  as  she  lasts,  or  at  least  as  long 
as  you  live  in  this  wretched  place.  She  doesn't  look  very  oretty  as 
she  is,  but  she  looks  much  better  than  the  Witch  of  Endor.  And. 
by  the  way,  you'll  find  a  keg  of  white  paint  in  the  galley,  and  if  I  were 
in  your  place  I'd  take  it  and  paint  the  old  witch  out  of  sight,  and  then 
saw  off  the  eagle  figure-head  of  the  bark  and  hoist  it  to  the  top  of 
that  big  boulder.  And  if  you'll  drill  a  couple  of  holes  in  the  top  of 
the  rock  and  bolt  the  eagle's  feet  to  the  rock,  so  that  he'll  face  the 
sea,  he'll  stand  there  in  spite  of  all  the  storms  that  blow  upon  this 
coast.  Then,  too.  the  gilding  on  it  is  thick,  and  will  last  a  long 
time"      *  . 

The  boys  did  as  was  suggested,  and  often  while  they  were  fishing 
in  the  offing  they  could  plainly  see  the  eagle  looking  toward  them 
and  glistening  resplendently  in  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

Those  who  live  only  in  the  city  or  in  the  thick  of  society  are  apt 
to  look  upon  their  fellow- creatures  as  so  many  stocks  and  stones,  or 
50  many  machines  put  in  motion  by  the  forces  around  them.     On 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


47 


the  other  hand,  those  who  live  in  solitude  come  to  look  upon  even 
inanimate  things  as  living  friends  or  enemies.  Dick  and  Jack  had 
fallen  into  this  last  way  of  thinking  and  feeling,  and  doubtless  the 
reader  will  think  it  a  better  way  than  the  one  first  mentioned.  They 
called  the  eagle  on  the  rock  Uncle  Sam,  and  it  is  certain  that  no 
uncle  they  had  ever  known  or  heard  of  had  such  a  powerful  and 
wholesome  influence  over  them.  In  all  their  disputes  or  doubts  they 
would  say : 

"  What  would  Uncle  Sam  think  about  it  ?     What  would  he  do?" 

The  answer  usually  reached  by  this  sort  of  appeal  was  generally 
the  end  of  all  controversy,  so  that,  whether  on  land  or  sea,  they  came 
to  regard  Uncle  Sam  as  superior  to  any  genii  they  had  ever  read  of 
in  the  "Arabian  Nights."  He  gave  them  all  the  advice  they  needed, 
and  then  made  them  work  out  their  own  salvation  ;  they  trusted  to 
him  for  wisdom  and  to  themselves  for  works.  And  if  any  of  us  ever 
come  to  anything  it  will  be  because  we  have  run  our  affairs  on  the 
same  kind  of  road. 

Not  long  after  the  recognition  of  Uncle  Sam,  Dick  and  Jack  were 
hunting  halibut  near  the  Little  Hope,  a  tall  beacon,  erected  on  an 
ugly  ledge,  which  was  a  long  distance  from  the  shore,  to  warn  ves- 
sels against  venturing  inside,  where  shoals  and  rocks  abounded. 
They  had  scarcely  dropped  there  skillit  — a  small  stone  anchor  en- 
cased in  tough  birch  cross-pieces- -when  a  pert,  rakish-looking 
schooner,  of  about  sixty  tons  burden,  luffed  into  the  wind  to  the 
windward  of  them,  and.  setting  the  stars  and  stripes  in  the  main  rig- 
ging, signaled  to  them  to  come  on  board. 

"  That's  a  beauty  of  a  craft !  I  wonder  what  she  wants  of  us." 
said  Dick.  "  Pull  up  the  skillit,  Jack,  and  we'll  go  on  board  and  find 
out.     She  looks  like  a  regular  Uncle  Sammer." 

As  they  ran  under  the  stern  of  the  stranger,  they  laughed  when 
they  read  the  name,  "  You  Bet,  of  Eastport,  Maine." 

They  were  no  sooner  on  deck,  than  a  lean,  lank  man.  of  about 
thirty-five,  asked:  "  Is  there  any  place  inside  there  where  a  fellow 
of  my  size  can  run  in  and  spend  a  few  days  without  being  eaten  up 
by  the  fi$h?    I  draw  about  seven  feet  when  I'm  down  as  deep  as  I 


T"fK!S! 


^S555S^S3SH 


msamsaaem 


wm 


M 


48 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


can  load.     I'm  buying  halibut  and  cod.  and  if  the  You  Bet's  nose 
can  get  in  there,  we'll  run  in  for  a  few  days." 

"  On  this  side  of  Black  Point  there  is,  but  not  on  the  other," 
Dick  answered.  "  I  can  run  you  into  Mingo  cove,  where  you  will  be 
as  safe  as  a  clam  in  its  shell ;  it's  so  land-locked  that  a  hurricane 
couldn't  drag  you  from  your  anchors."  ^ 

"  Then  you  know  all  the  bottom  about  here  ?  Don't  you  know 
most  too  much  for  so  young  a  chap?" 

"  If  you  had  fished  over  this  bottom  as  much  I  have,  you'd  know 
something,  too,"  replied  Dick,  nettled  by  the  skipper's  incredulous 
manner. 

"  Oh,  don't  get  roily!  I  reckon  you're  just  the  chap  I'm  hunting 
for.  Sling  your  boat  astern,  and  take  the  wheel,  and  slap  the  You 
Bet  into  that  cove  as  soon  as  you  can." 

While  Jack  was  fastening  the  Carolina  astern,  Dick,  after  going 
to  the  wheel,  said  to  the  skipper :  "  Take  in  your  foresail  and  fly- 
ing-jib. We'll  go  in  easy,  so  that  if  we  happen  to  bump  against  a 
rock,  it  won't  knock  your  cutwater  off  or  scrape  the  keel  away." 

The  five  sailors,  who  formed  the  crew,  while  grinning  from  ear  to 
ear  at  his  handling  of  the  skipper,  skurried  away  to  quarters  to  obey 
the  young  pilot's  orders.  Turning  the  You  Bet  completely  round, 
stem  for  stern.  Dick  steered  into  a  network  of  shoals  and  ledges  that 
might  have  appalled  a  much  older  head ;  but  he  ran  with  such  evi- 
dent knowledge  of  what  he  was  about,  that  the  skipper  and  his  mate 
watched  his  movements  in  silent  admiration. 

Presently,  while  running  along  a  rocKy  shore,  that  seemed  to  be 
without  a  break,  Dick  suddenly  down  helm,  and  the  schooner  sheered 
into  a  narrow  opening  that  let  her  into  a  sandy-bottomed  basin  per- 
fectly sheltered  on  every  side. 

"Well,  does  this  suit  you?"  he  asked,  after  he  ordered  the  anchor 
down  and  had  left  the  wheel. 

•*  To  a  dot !"  acknowledged  the  skipper.  "  It's  as  cozy  as  a  cuddy 
hole,  and  a^  safe  as  the  inside  of  a  jug!  Now,  what  are  the 
damages?" 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


49 


the  anchor 


"  F'ive  dolhrs  for  bringing  you  in,  but  it  will  cost  you  $10.00  to 
get  out." 

"  Gosh  !  You're  sharp  enough  to  be  a  Yankee  !"  and  the  skipper, 
in  his  surprise,  squirted  a  flood  of  tobacco  juice  over  the  rail,  which 
stood  six  feet  away  "  Well,  I'm  agreed,"  he  continued,  seeing  that 
Dick  meant  business,  "  but  I  s'pose  you'll  be  willing  to  take  it  out 
in  trade  ?" 

"  Out— in— trade  ?  You  said  you  came  to  buy.  not  to  sell."  Here 
was  cause  for  suspicion.  # 

"  Of  course !  of  course  !  That's  all  right,  young  man  !  If  you've 
got  any  cod  or  halibut,  fetch  'em  along,  1  reckon  I've  change  enough 
on  board  to  pay  you  for  all  you  bring."  But  the  skipper's  face  was 
as  red  under  his  swarthy  skin  as  If  it  had  been  suddenly  smeared 
with  paint. 

"  All  right ;  but  I'll  take  my  $5.00  now,  and  the  $10.00  when  I 
board  you  to  take  you  out." 

The  skipper  knew  all  the  while  that  Dick's  charge  was  low  ;  he 
knew  also  that  he  himself  had  made  a  blunder  which  had  aroused 
Dick's  suspicions,  and  to  cover  things  over,  he  said  :  "  There's 
$10.00  for  you  now,  $5.00  for  the  come-in,  and  half  down  be- 
sides to  bind  the  bargain  for  the  go -out.  Does  that  make  it  all 
right?"  ' 

"  Yes,  all  right.  I'll  be  on  hand,  but  we  must  pick  a  wind  off 
shore  to  get  out.  We  can't  go  beating  and  tackli'^'  about  inside 
the  Little  Hope  ;  there  are  too  many  shoals  and  sunken  rocks  to 
look  after."  " 

"  You  understand  your  business  as  well  as  an  old  salt,"  said 
the  skipper,  but  he  didn't  look  Dick  in  the  eyes  as  confidently 
as  he  did  as  first,  for  there  were  too  many  interrogation  points  in 
them. 

The  You  Bet  laid  in  the  cove  several  days  buying  all  the  dried  fish 

[she  could  get,  which  was  all  legitimate  enough ;  but  in  addition  to 

this,  and  with  an  impudence  characteristic  of  some  of  the  Yankee 

fishermen,  who  make  no  bones  of  breaking  the  coast  laws  of  Nova 

Scotia,  she  sent  her  boats  among  the  shoals  and  fished  for  mackerel 


! 


50 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


J   1 


and  cod  in  violation  of  tiie  three-mile  limit.  And,  worse  than  this, 
she  sold  smuggled  goods,  of  which  she  carried  quite  a  stock — traded 
them  for  cured  fish,  which  the  Port  Jolli  fishermen  brought  in  in 
large  quantities  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  the  opportunity.  That  both 
parties  were  willing  to  break  the  laws  didn't  make  the  transaction 
right.  Dick  and  jack  knew  this  well  enough,  and  when  they  carried 
their  halibut  and  cod  to  the  vessel  they  insisted  upon  receiving  hard 
cash  for  them,  although  the  family  stood  much  in  need  of  some  of 
the  thffigs  the  Yankee  was  peddling  along  shore.  But  it  was  not 
their  place  to  play  the  part  of  informers,  and  they  left  the  revenue 
officers  to  look  after  their  own  business. 

A  day  came,  however,  when  they  found  themselves  in  a  very  tight 
place.  They  had  walked  over  the  beach  to  make  You  Bet  a  visit, 
and  while  they  were  in  the  cabin  talking  with  the  skipper,  the  mate 
entered  and  said  that  a  revenue  cutter  had  made  her  appearance 
outside  of  the  Little  Hope,  and  she  was  lowering  a  boat  with  the 
evident  intention  of  making  the  vessel  a  visit  of  inspection.  The 
skipper  immediately  ordered  the  vessel  to  make  ready  for  sea. 

Addressing  Dick,  he  said :  "  Pilot,  you  are  just  in  time.  Get  us 
us  out  of  this  scrape  and  I'll  give  you  $50.00." 

"  I'll  take  the  other  five  according  to  contract,  but  not  a  cent 
more,"  said  Dick,  not  stopping  to  consider  all  the  bearings  of  case. 
"  You'd  better  hurry  about  setting  vil ;  put  on  every  stitch  you've 
got ;  the  wind  is  abeam,  and  I  can  run  you  a  course  that'll  take  you 
clear  of  the  cutter  without  fail.  She  can't  come  inside  of  IJttl', 
Hope,  because  she  draws  too  much  water,  but  knowing  everything; 
about  here  I  can  run  the  inside  course  and  slip  out  of  her  siglit 
while  she  is  taking  the  long  course  outside.  Are  you  a  fast 
sailor?" 

'•  Fast  as  a  witch  !     Can  show  my  neeis  to  almost  anything." 

"  But  what  will  Uncle  Sam  say  ?"  asked  Jack  of  Dick,  while  the 
crew  were  making  thirds  hum  about  the  decks.  • 

"  He'd  say:  '  Get  her  clear  if  you  can.  and  we'll  settle  the  rights 
and  wrongs  of  it  after  the  mare  has  left  the  stable.'  " 

Jack  wasn't  exactly  satisfied  with  the  answer,  yet  he  went  to  the 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


51 


!  than  this, 
ick— traded 
DUght  in  in 
That  both 
transaction 
they  carried 
:eiving  hard 
i  of  some  of 
[   it  was  not 
the  revenue 

\  a  very  tight 
I  Bet  a  visit, 
)er.  the  mate 
;r  appearance 
boat  with  the 
lection.  The 
for  sea. 
me.     Get  us 

ut  not  a  cent 
irings  of  case, 
stitch  you've 
lat'll  take  you 
iside  of  Littl'- 
ing  everything; 
t  of  her  sight 
e    you    a   fast 

anything." 
Dick,  while  the 

ettle  the  rights 


he  went  to  the 


ropes  with  the  crew  of  the  vessel,  saying  to  himself:  "  I'll  think  it 
out  when  we  are  out  of  the  scrape." 

Dick  was  now  at  the  wheel,  and  the  You  Bet,  with  bow  to 
the  open  sea,  was  keeling  her  lee-scuppers  to  the  water-line  and 
bowling  along  like  a  racer. 

The  cutter's  boat  returned  in  a  hurry,  and  the  cutter,  crowd- 
ing on  all  sail  bore  away  in  chase  on  the  outer  or  long  line  of 
the  course,  hoping  to  outsail  the  You  Bet  and  to  overtake  hei  where 
the  deep  sea  met  Port  Mouton  Head.  Discovering  that  the  Yankee 
was  by  far  the  faster  sailor,  the  cutter  sent  a  blank  shot  across  the 
fleeing  schooner's  bow. 

"  You  can  blank  as  much  as  you  please  !"  exclaimed  the  skipper, 
"  and  send  solid  shot,  too.  if  you  want  to  ;  I'm  the  cat  that  jumped 
the  bag." 

Jack  had  joined  Dick  at  the  spokes  of  the  wheel,  and  the  skipper, 
standing  by  to  receive  Dick's  orders  about  trimming  sails  to  the 
occasionally  changing  course,  as  he  luffed  or  bore  away  according 
to  the  necessities  of  the  case,  experienced  an  admiration  which 
almost  neutralized  his  anxiety. 

"Well,  1  swan!  You  fellers  beat  Maine  punkins!"  he  exclaimed, 
when  the  schooner  sailed  by  the  edge  of  Black  Point  and  struck  an 
arrow  course  for  Port  Mouton  Head. 

He  ducked  his  head  h.nstily,  when  a  solid  shot  from  the  cutter 
went  through  the  mainsail,  and,  ricochetting,  skimmed  the  waves  till 
it  buried  itself  in  the  sands  of  Kempton's  beach,  within  plain  sight  of 
the  Melville  home.  Another,  and  another  shot  was  fired,  one  of 
which,  striking  the  rail,  made  the  splinters  fly,  but  beyond  this  did  no 
harm.  The  schooner  soon  bounded  into  the  deep  swell  beyond  Port 
Mouton  Head,  and  the  chase  was  at  an  end. 

"  The  rascals!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Melville,  who,  with  glass  in  hand, 
watched  the  whole  race,  knowing  that  only  his  own  boys  could  have 
j  carried  the  schooner  through  the  network  of  hidden  dangers  into  the 
'  outer  sea. 

"The  confounded  scamps!"  wiping  the  beads  of  perspiration 
from  his  brow.     "  Here's  another  cucumber  to  my  pot  of  pickles. 


iiijlj  "I^IP 


I 


52 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Some  are  shaking  their  heads  at  my  fast  horse ;  others  are 
saying  that  my  misfortunes  here  were  sent  upon  me  to  pun- 
ish me  for  leaving  the  pastorate.  When  they  hear  that  the 
boys  have  run  a  smuggler  away  from  the  revenue  cutter,  they'll  say 
that  the  minister's  sens  are  going  to  the  dogs  with  him  as  fast  as 
they  can  go."  Yet  there  was  a  broad  smile  on  his  face,  and  it  was 
plain  enough  that  he  wasn't  feeling  very  badly,  though  he  was  so 
peppery  in  his  exclamations. 

He  again  levelled  his  glass  upon  the  fleeing  vessel,  and  seeing  a 
wad  of  bunting  rising  from  the  deck,  he  watched  it  till  it  reached  the 
maintop  where,  now  fully  unfolded,  it  disclosed  the  stars  and  stripes, 
flaming  in  all  their  glory. 

"The  impudent  scoCindrels !"  was  what  he  said,  but  "Hurrah, 
hurrah!"  was  in  his  heart,  and  in  spite  of  everything,  mouth 
and  heart  will  sometimes  pull  as  widely  apart  as  a  contrary  pair 
of  oxen. 

Mrs.  Melville,  with  a  fine  glass  that  had  been  given  to  her  by  Captain 
Doane,  was  also  an  interested  spectator  of  the  flight.  Standing  in 
the  doorway  of  the  cottage,  she  saw  Dick  and  Jack  standing  at  the 
wheel,  while  the  You  Bet  flung  the  spray  from  her  bow,  and  although 
the  booming  of  the  cutter's  gun  aroused  her  fears,  the  distance  so 
rapidly  widening  between  the  two  vessels  thrilled  her  with  joy. 
When  the  down-easter  disappeared  behind  the  Point  in  safety,  Mrs. 
Melville's  conscience  began  to  smite  her  for  sympathizing  with  a 
smuggler  and  a  fish  thief,  but  her  conscience  was  somewhat  relieved, 
when,  on  comparing  notes  with  her  husband,  she  discovered  that  he 
was  as  great  a  sinner  as  herself. 

"  But  how  will  the  boys  get  back?"  she  asked,  beginning  to  worry 
about  them. 

"  Let  me  see,"  he  replied.  "  The  Yankee  will  drop  them  on  Port 
Mouton  beach,  and  that  will  give  them  a  five  mile  walk  before  they 
reach  home.  They  will  be  in  a  hurry  to  get  here,  and  will  arrive 
about  nine  o'clock.  They  will  be  as  hungry  as  lobsters,  and  we  must 
have  a  good  supper  waiting  for  them."  .    , 


1 ' ' 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


53 


At  twenty  minutes  past  nine  the  boys  came  in  looking  worn  and 
rather  sheepish,  and  their  father  greeted  them  by  saying: 

"  You  are  a  pretty  pair  of  dogs,, and  ought  to  have  a  round  dose 
of  cat"0'-nlne-tails  for  this  day's  work  !"  But.  as  the  medicine  that 
was  in  his  eyes  and  face  took  away  the  sting  that  was  in  his  words, 
and  as  there  was  the  nice,  hot  supper  awaiting  their  voracious  appe- 
tites, the  boys  began  to  laugh,  Dick  saying: 

•'  Blood  will  tell,  father,  so  what's  the  use  of  making  believe  that 
you  would  be  willing  to  see  us  hung  for  this  day's  work  ?" 


•iTMMMi 


I     ■     ! 


/iiii  'x 


1 


LAST  TRIP  OF   THE   SEASON 

ACK  !  Wake  up,  there,  and 
stir  your  stumps!" 

"Ye — s,  r — m  coming," 
Jack  sleepily  answered  to 
Dick's  impatient  call. 

Dick  dressed  himself  .and 
on  turning  to  see  how  Jack 
was  getting  along,  he  found 
him  sleeping  as  soundly  as 
if  sleep  should  no  more  be 
broken  than  window  lights 
or  china  dishes. 

"You  log!'"  and  Dick 
Ifted  Jack  out  of  bed  bodily  and  steadied  him  on  his  feet  until  his 
[yes  were  fairly  open.  •  .  -   .  -. 

66 


-iVW  ",'V.'- 


56 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


< 


!l  - 


"Oh,  I  forgot!  this  is  halibut  day,  isn't  it? — and  the  last  of  the 
season  ;  wish  yesterday  had  been  the  last." 

"  Yes,  and  just  look  out  of  the  window  and  see  what  a  day  it's 
going  to  be." 

The  boys'  room,  which  was  simply  boarded  off  from  the  rest  of 
the  rough,  unfinished  attic,  had  a  single  window,  but  it  was  a  window 
with  a  liberal  outlook.  From  it  could  be  seen  Darling  Rock,  Uncle 
Sam,  the  whole  length  of  Kempton's  beach,  and  the  ugly  looking 
profile  of  Port  Mouton  Head,  all  glowing  in  the  red  rays  of  the 
rising  sun.  There,  too,  was  the  lazy  surf  rolling  on  the  beach  and 
the  wide-awake  gulls  skimming  over  it  in  search  of  their  break- 
fasts. 

JacK  looked  out,  and  now  fully  on  the  alert,  said  :  "  Yes,  splen- 
did, and  so  calm  that  even  the  waves  have  forgotten  to  show  their 
teeth  among  the  rocks." 

While  they  were  eating  smoked  halibut  for  breakfast.  Dick  said  : 
"  There'll  be  fresh  halibut  for  supper,  mother — a  good  fat  slice  out  of 
the  very  fin  itself,  and  the  halibut  we  get  to-day  will  not  be  put  up  for 
sale,  but  kept  for  home  use,  and  we  are  going  to  pickle  its  fins  and 
smoke  its  cuts  to  suit  ourselves." 

"  Don't  count  your  chickens  before  they  are  hatched,"  cautioned 
Mr.  Melville. 

"  I  never  do  when  handling  such  flimsy  things  as  eggs,  but  the 
halibut  is  a  bird  of  another  feather,  as  you'll  admit,  and  you  never 
knew  us  to  go  after  them  without  having  at  least  one  with  us  when 
we  came  back."  ,     >•  - 

"  Now,  that  1  think  of  it,  you  are  rarely  astray  in  the  halibut  busi- 
ness." acknowledged  Mr.  Melville,  "so  it  is  safe  enough  to  depend 
upon  fresh  halibut  for  supper.  This  is  the  third  day  of  Septem- 
ber, and  it  is  time  that  our  winter  supply  of  fins  and  strips  was  safe 
in  hand." 

After  breakfast,  Dick  said  :  "  Now,  for  the  clams;  take  the  clam 
bucket,  Jack,  I'll  take  the  shovel.  We  must  hurry,  for  we  ought  to 
be  off  there  by  the  ledge  at  low  tide."  Once  on  the  flats  back  of 
Kempton's  beach,  it  did  not  take  them  long  to  get  all  the  bait  they 


;i^i, 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


57 


[wanted.  Dick  relished  clams  from  their  native  dish,  and,  having 
secured  what  was  necessary  for  business,  he  felt  like  trying  one  of 
[them  for  pleasure.  Deftly  opening  the  shells,  which  enclosed  a 
jgood-sized  clam,  he  next  opened  his  mouth,  threw  his  head  back, 
land  gulped  the  pulpy  creature  down  with  as  much  relish  as  if  it  were 
fa  chocolate  drop  or  a  candied  plum.     ■  ,        ..  ■ 

"  Take  one,  Jack,"  he  said,  "  it  will  make  a  capital  finish  to  your 
[breakfast."  '. 

"  No,  sir !     No  clams  for  me  till  mother  has  put  a  coat  of  egg- 

[batter  around  them  and  fried  them,  or  has  made  them  up  into  one 

[of  her  clam  chowders.     I'd  as  soon  think  of  eating  raw  fish  as  to 

[think  of  downing  a  raw  clam.     Mother  can  make  a  frog  jump  down 

iTour  throat  when  she  has  given  it  a  turn  or  two  in  the  frying  pan." 

"  Yes,"  Dick  replied,  proudly,  "  when  it  comes  to  pots  and  kettles, 
;He  makes  them  beat  Aladdin's  lamp  and  the  four  and  twenty  black- 
Ibirds,  besides."' 

"  You  are  getting  off  fire-crackers,  now."    Mr.  Melville  cautioned 
jhis  boys  against  exaggerations,  calling  them   fire  crackers  to  be 
sparingly  used.    This  was  what  Jack  alluded  to. 

They  had  to  pass  the  cottage  on  their  way  to  their  boat,  and  there 
Ihey  found  their  mother  waiting  for  them. 

"  You  must  get  back  in  time  for  dinner,  boys,  she  said,  "  we  are 
p  have  roast  duck,  and  I  want  you  to  get  your  share  while  it  is  hot 
md  fresh  from  the  oven."  < 

'  Never  fear  about  that,  mother.  If  there  is  anything  good 
iround  in  the  eating  line,  you  know  we  always  get  our  share,"  said 
jack,  quickly. 

"  It  is  so  early,  you  will  have  a  long  forenoon  of  It,  and  if  you'll 
/ait  a  moment,  I'll  give  you  a  jug  of  buttermilk,  some  bread  and 
jutter  and  the  rest  of  the  rabbit  stew  that  was  left  over  from  last 
light.  I  don't  want  you  to  come  hohie  with  too  big  appetites,  for 
|here  are  only  two  ducks,  and  seven  of  us  to  feed,"  and  the  mother 
lughed  at  herself  for  trying  to  be  funny. 

"  You  are  a  brick,  mother,  and  know  what  Is  Inside  of  a  boy  to  a 
Jot.    What  Is  better  to  have  at  sea  than  a  jug  of  fresh  buttermilk 


HHHPai 


II 


HI 


I  E   1 


:!l     i 


M 


58 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


and  a  good  slice  or  two  of  your  bread?"'  and  Jack  went  into  the 
pantry  with  her  to  get  the  lunch  she  had  so  thoughtfully  provided. 

Mr.  Melville  was  grooming  Black  Prince,  of  whose  glossy  coat  he 
was  quite  proud,  and  so  did  not  go  down  to  the  cove  with  them,  as  he 
usually  did  when  the  boys  went  out  to  sea,  • 

The  Carolina  was  their  favorite  boat,  and  was  always  selected  for 
open  sea  work.  Having  used  her  so  much,  in  both  fair  and  foul 
weather,  they  felt  almost  as  safe  in  her  as  if  they  were  at  home  in 
the  cottage.  They  had  performed  perilous  experiments  with  her  in 
the  surf  of  the  beach  when  they  wanted  a  bit  of  rough  sport,  and 
hence,  knew  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  upset  her. 

Although  there  was  no  wind,  they  put  both  sprit-sails  on  board,  and 
with  two  oars  apiece,  and  rowing  wide-handed,  as  it  is  called,  they 
went  skimming  over  the  glassy  ground-swell  with  hearts  that  were  as 
buoyant  as  their  boat. 

"  She's  looking  at  us,"  said  Jack,  catching  a  glimpse  of  his  mother 
standing  on  the  upland  at  the  corner  of  the  house  watching  the  re- 
ceding boat.  Resting  their  oars  upon  the  gunwales,  both  boys  stood 
upon  the  thwarts  and  swung  their  tarpaulin  hats  in  salute.  They 
knew  that  she  saw  them,  for  she  removed  the  kerchief  from  her 
neck,  and,  saluting  back  again,  disappeared  in  the  house. 

Swinging  silently  now  to  their  oars,  they  gave  themselves  up  to 
thoughts  that  neither  boy  nor  man  is  ever  ashamed  of  unless  he  is 
worse  than  dead. 

Reaching  the  Devil's  Ledge,  that  being  the  place  where  they  gen- 
erally found  the  largest  fish,  they  made  immediate  preparations  for 
business.  Jack  retained  his  oars,  and  backed  as  near  to  the  ledge 
as  the  sweep  of  the  swell  would  admit,  while  Dick  made  ready  his 
fifty  fathoms  of  strong  cod-line,  by  attaching  one  end  securely  to  a 
thwart,  and  tying  several  clams  with  small  twine  to  the  big  hook  at 
the  other  end,  which  was  weighted  with  heavy  sinkers. 

"  There  she  goes,"  he  said,  as  he  flung  the  line  astern,  with  a 
throw  that  carried  out  four  or  five  fathoms.  Presently,  he  spoke 
again,  saying :  "  There's  something  fooling  with  that  bait,  but  it 
doesn't  take  hold  hard  enough  for  a  halibut.     It's  some  sea-sneak 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


59 


that  means  to  get  away  with  those  clams  piecemeal ;  guess  I'll  pull 
up  to  see  what  is  going  on.  Oh.  it's  a  lobster;  1  know  him  by  the 
way  he  is  backing  with  that  paddle-tail  of  his.  He  is  a  big  chap, 
too,  judging  from  the  weight  he  shows  up."  .. 

When  the  intruder  was  landed,  it  proved  to  be  an  enormous  deep- 
sea  lobster,  green  as  jealousy,  and  so  hideously  ugly  that  his  photo- 
graph might  have  been  taken  and  exhibited  as  a  picture  of  that  most 
unlovely  of  all  the  passions. 

"  My  gracious!"  Jack  exclaimed,  "take  care  where  you  put  that 
fellow,  Dick!  I  wouldn't  care  to  have  him  stand  up  and  give  me  a 
hug.     He's  almost  as  big  as  a  good-sized  bear  cub." 

•'  I  wish  he  had  staid  at  home.  When  I'm  sending  out  invita- 
tions to  halibut,  I'd  thank  the  lobsters  to  keep  their  places  till  they 
are  invited  to  leave  them.  His  ugly  claws  have  mashed  my  bait 
into  a  jelly." 

"  But  I'm  glad  you  pulled  him  in,  he's  such  an  astonisher.  If  our 
dog  gets  his  tail  into  one  of  those  claws,  the  lobster  will  wag  the  dog 
instead  of  the  dog  wagging  the  lobster."  •  ^ 

The  lobster  raised  himself  on  his  roughly  booted  and  fearfully 
spurred  legs,  and  made  such  a  decided  move  in  Jack's  direction  that 
the  boy  jumped  upon  the  thwart,  exclaiming  :  "  Oh,  cracky  I  Dick  ! 
he's  coming  this  way.  For  mercy's  sake  throw  a  rope  around  him 
and  belay  him  in  your  own  part  of  the  boat.  I'd  as  soon  shake  hands 
with  a  blacksmith's  vice  as  to  have  him  shake  hands  with  me  with 
that  right  claw  of  his." 

Dick  laughed,  but  knowing  that  a  nip  from  such  a  visitor  was  not 
to  be  courted,  he  threw  -:■  rope  abaft  the  lobster's  claws  and  made 
him  fast  to  one  of  the  tholpins.  After  struggling  with  his  fetters 
awhile  the  armored  Goliah  grew  quiet,  yet  the  restlessness  of  his  long 
protruding  eyes  showed  that  he  was  doing  a  heap  of  thinking.  Doubt- 
less he  was  wondering  what  sort  of  a  world  his  sins  had  gotten  him 
into ;  and  doubtless,  too,  the  boys  looked  more  hideous  to  him  than 
he  did  to  them,  for  the  looks  of  things  depend  a  good  deal  upon  where 
and  how  one  has  been  brought  up. 

Jack  seized  his  oars  again,  and  looking  down  at  the  lobster's 


)»!r! 


!P" 


^m^immimmm 


m    ' 


mV 


I  - 


60 


DICK  AND  JACK  S  ADVENTURES 


«     I 


H'' 


'  i 


il!!l 


m  I 


crusty  feet,  said:  "  I'm  glad  I'm  nort  In  those  shoes  of  his,  and 
that  I  don't  have  to  wear  such  mittens  as  he  has  on  his  hands. 
Wonder  how  we  should  feel  if  instead  of  having  our  bones  where  no- 
body can  see  them  we  had  them  plastered  all  over  our  outsides  as 
his  are !" 

"  If  you  are  going  to  wonder  at  everything  you  see  in  this  world 
you'll  have  a  busy  time  of  it,"  Dick  said,  while  putting  on  another 
batch  of  bait. 

'•  If  lobster  eyes  are  made  to  squirm  around  like  that  isn't  it  a 
hint  for  '>s  to  stir  our  minds  a  bit,"  Jack  retorted,  sharply. 

"  Your  mind  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  your  doings,  for  you  are  al- 
ways turning  stones  over  to  see  what's  under  them  ;  for  my  part  I'm 
content  to  let  the  bugs  and  worms  keep  themselves  out  of  sight. 
Row  ahead  a  little,  and  we'll  see  what  we  can  turn  up  next,  if  you 
are  so  anxious  to  know  what's  going  on  below."  t 

Now,  your  halibut  is  a  retiring  sort  of  body,  and  that  is  probably 
the  reason  why  so  many  of  them  resorted  to  such  an  out  of  the  way 
place  as  Black  Point.  He  does  not  make  himself  conspicuous  by 
swimming  about  in  the  middle  and  upper  waters  like  most  other  fish, 
but  sticks  to  the  bottom,  where  he  can  the  more  easily  gratify  his  retir- 
ing disposition  by  flapping  the  sand  or  mud  over  his  broad  yet  thin 
body  by  a  few  convenient  movements  of  his  big  fins. 

His  modesty  is  further  shown  by  the  way  he  dresses.  His  upper 
suit  is  composed  entirely  of  a  dull,  neutral  gray,  with  just  the  faintest 
suggestion  of  spots  here  and  there ;  his  under  clothing  is  of  the 
most  spotless  white,  which  he  modestly  conceals  by  keeping  it 
constantly  turned  toward  the  sand  beneath  him.  You  might  think 
that  this  would  soil  his  linen,  yet,  water  being  plenty,  he  has  a  way 
of  doing  his  own  laundrying  that  keeps  his  underwear  as  white  as  in- 
nocence itself. 

His  head  is  so  small,  compared  with  the  rest  of  his  body,  it  would; 
seem  as  if  his  capacity  could  not  be  very  great,  yet  you  can  see 
from  the  way  he  carries  his  eyes  that  he  is  no  fool  of  a  fish ;  one 
eye  is  turned  downward,  so  as  to  see  everything  going  on  below,  and 
the  other  upward,  to  observe  what  takes  place  there.    There  is  so 


■i 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


61 


(much  more  going  on  above  than  below,  and  the  upper  eye  has  so 
luch  more   work   to   do   than   the   lower,  that   it   is   by   far   the 
Jarger   of   the   two,   and   this  detracts   somewhat   from   the   hali- 
Dut's  beauty.  - 

Big,  as  he  generally  is,  he  hasn't  much  mouth  to  speak  of,  yet  It 
|s  so  well  armed  with  long,  needle-like  teeth,  and  is  placed  so  nearly 
lidway  between  the  eyes,  that  he  can  manage  to  get  a  living  with- 
)ut  placing  too  great  a  strain  upon  the  rest  of  his  body. 

Take  an  elm  leaf  and  lay  it  flat  upon  its  belly,  and  its  shape  will 
rive  you  a  very  good  idea  of  the  shape  of  the  halibut,  as  well  as  of 
is  natural  position.  To  complete  the  resemblance,  however,  you 
ihould  add  a  tan  for  the  fin  of  the  tail ;  for  the  rest,  the  saw-like 
fdges  of  the  leaf  will  answer  very  well  for  the  fin  that  runs  along 
^oth  sides  of  the  halibut,  all  the  way  from  his  tail  to  where  the  head, 
nthout  the  aid  of  any  neck,  joins  the  body. 

To  be  sure,  a  dead  halibut  is  rather  coarse  eating,  but  he  is  not  to 
^lame  for  that.  Upon  the  whole,  he  is  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  gentle- 
lan,  making  no  fuss  unless  compelled  to  fight  for  his  life.  Young 
ilibut  are  very  rarely  caught,  being  too  shrewd  to  be  taken  for 
jdgeons,  while  the  old  ones  are  so  eager  to  bite  they  are  easily 
^ken  in  and  done  for.  In  the  halibut  world  the  old  saw  which  was 
often  quoted  at  us  when  we  were  young  is  entirely  reversed,  and 
^ads:  "  Old  folks  think  young  folks  to  be  fools,  but  young  folks 
low  old  folks  to  be  fools." 

j"  Give  way  there.  Jack;  you  are  not  pulling  fast  enough,"  cried 
Ick,  seeing  that  Jack  had  fallen  into  one  of  his  fits  of  thinking  and 
IS  not  paying  much  attention  to  present  business,  which,  by  the  way, 
[a  bad  habit  for  anybody  to  get  into. 

Give  way,  you  have  it!"  repeated  Jack,  and  the  boat  made  a 

iden   spurt    ahead.     The    movement   took  up   the  slack  of  the 

and  made  Dick   aware   that  he   now  had  something  stronger 

|in  a  lobster  to  contend  with.     Indeed,  the  boat  was  pulled  so  much 

jthe  stern  that  she  began  to  back  directly  toward  the  ledge.     The 

was  as  stiff  as  a  ramrod,  and  Jack,  rising  to  the  emergency 


^i. — .^j:.„,jr-.' 


f^S^BBSSm 


62 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


;| 


without  further  orders,  pulled  till  he  regained  a  part  of  his  head- 
way. 

"  It's  our  halibut  this  time,"  said  Dick,  exultingly,  as  he  braced 
his  feet  against  the  stern-cuddy  and  made  ready  for  a  fight  with 
his  victim.  "  Pull  away  there.  Jack!"  he  shouted,  with  increasing 
excitement,  "  the  fellow  is  very  big  or  very  ugly,  and  he  is  trying  to 
get  to  his  home  under  the  edge  of  the  rocks  before  his  mother 
knows  he's  out." 

But  the  boat  was  now  slowing  so  steadily,  Dick  took  a  turn  around 
a  cleat  with  his  line,  and  seating  himself  on  the  after-thwart,  with 
his  free  hand,  took  an  oar  to  help  Jack  hold  tjie  boat  to  her  own. 
The  movement  didn't  work,  and  now  the  boat  was  spinning  round 
upon  her  keel  like  a  top.  All  at  once  there  was  a  pause,  and  the 
line  slacked. 

"  There,  Jack,  we've  lost  him  !  He's  gone  to  the  doctor  to  have 
his  mouth  mended.  If  his  relatives  see  him  scudding  away  from 
this  place,  they'll  avoid  it,  and  we'll  have  to  try  some  other 
shoal." 

But  Dick  was  premature  in  his  conclusions,  as  he  informally  con- 
fessed, when  he  cried  out:  "Hello!  If  he  isn't  hanging  there, 
yet!"  The  halibut  was  very  much  in  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the 
assertion,  for  he  had  taKen  the  bit  in  his  teeth,  so  to  speak,  and 
was  dragging  the  boat  seaward  in  spite  of  the  resisting  efforts  of 
both  boys. 

The  halibut  is  capable  of  sudden  movements  of  great  violence,  but 
incapable  of  a  prolonged  fight  for  his  life.  The  struggle  of  this  one 
ended  in  his  coming  to  the  surface  in  a  few  moments  after  the  be- 
ginning of  the  sudden  run,  and  now  his  brilliantly  white  underside 
flashed  in  the  sun  like  a  sheet  of  frosted  silver,  With  the  exception 
of  an  occasional  spasmodic  flurry,  while  the  forty  fathoms  of  line 
were  being  drawn  in,  he  gave  his  captors  no  further  trouble.  Being 
seven  feet  In  length,  it  required  careful  work  to  get  him  safely  aboard 
the  Carolina. 

"There,"  said  Dick,  triumphantly,  when  the  halibut  was  stowed 
amldship,  "  you  have  almost  skinned  my  fingers  to  the  bone,  but 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


63 


there  is  enough  meat  on  you  to  pay  for  It.  Why,  Jack,  he's  good 
for  two  kegs  of  pickled  fins  and  at  least  one  hundred  pounds  of  strips 
for  the  smokehouse,  and  a  week's  supply  of  baking  pieces  from  his 
backbone  after  he  Is  stripped.  That's  what  I  call  a  pretty  good 
chicken,  in  spite  of  our  calculating  about  him  before  he  was  hatched, 
and  father  will  be  the  first  to  admit  It  as  soon  as  we  get  ashore. 
And  now  for  a  lunch,  and  a  good  swig  at  that  jug  of  buttermilk  ;  I'm 
as  hungry  as  a  pig." 

"  But  look  there,  Dick!"  Jack  exclaimed,  with  visible  uneasiness. 

Dick  glanced  seaward,  and  what  he  saw  instantly  banished  all 
thought  of  eating.  ^        ' 


\ 


OLD 
CRAY  MLANKET 

MONO  former 
visitors  at  Black  Point 
was  an  old  nnan  named 
Jeremiah  Gray,  who  wore  a 
curious  coat  made  from  a 
^;gray  blanket,  fashioned  after 
the  style  of  the  old  Cana- 
dian pioneers.  Although  he 
was  as  full  of  Scripture  as  a 
boy  is  of  pranks,  he  was  as 
far  astray  from  its  spirit  as 
a  drunkard  is  from  a  straight 
line.  He  stayed  a  week 
trying  to  convince  Mr.  Mel- 
ville that  the  world  was  to 
be  burned  up  in  less  than 
six  months,  and  he  dripped 
and  dripped  his  warnings 
upon  the  boys  from  morning  to  night.  They  disliked  him  so  much 
that  whenever  he  led  the  morning  prayers  they  signaled  each  other 

96 


/ 


"''^tSlw>HHiitH;i^ap»,,yy,y^CT^;,,^,„^ 


#'■ 


66 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I-  ffl 


.!       ! 


W    'i 


■im 


through  the  backs  of  their  chairs  with  faces  that  couldn't  have  been 
worse  if  they  had  swallowed  a  dose  of  red  peppers  and  vinegar.  The 
man  was  so  full  of  complaints  they  leaked  through  his  prayers  like 
water  from  a  poor  bucket,  and  he  was  so  used  to  fault-finding  that 
he  didn't  spare  the  Lord  himself.  When  he  took  himself  and  his 
blankety  coat  off  over  the  hill,  back  of  the  cottage,  Dick  and  Jack, 
who  had  kept  out  of  sight  to  escape  his  farewell  admonitions,  chuckled 
with  delight,  and  Dick  said  : 

"  Good-by,  Old  Gray  Blanket,  and  may  the  Lord  have  mercy  on 
the  next  place  where  you  dump  your  old  fog-bank  1" 

This  was  bad  language  for  decent  boys  to  use  toward  an  old  man, 
but  there  is  no  denying  the  greatness  of  the  provocation.  Like 
everybody  else,  Dick  and  Jack  hated  fog,  and  after  Jeremiah  Gray's 
visit,  whenever  they  saw  the  fog  creeping  toward  the  land,  blot- 
ting out  everything  bright  and  pleasant,  one  or  other  of  them 
would  say :  . 

"  There  comes  Old  Gray  Blanket  again,  and  we'll  have  to  get  our 
oil-suits  out  and  make  ready  for  another  dripping  time." 

What  took  Dick's  appetite  so  quickly  away  after  securing  the  hali- 
but was  the  sight  of  a  thick  fog-bank  scudding  in  from  the  ocean 
with  a  celerity  and  thickness  that  would  soon  make  the  shore  and 
everything  else  invisible. 

Boys,  in  excuse  for  thoughtlessness,  often  say,  "  I  forgot,"  but  the 
easy  and  worn  expression  is  never  broad  enough  to  mend  the  hole 
that  comes  from  forgetfulness. 

"  I  forgot  to  put  the  coir^pacs  in  the  cuddy!"  exclaimed  Dick  ; 
"but  if  you'll  bear  a  hand  there.  Jack,  we  can  get  within  hearing  of 
the  surf  on  the  nearest  shore,  and  then  we  can  thumb  our  noses  at 
Old  Gray  Blanket,  and  pick  our  way  back  to  the  cove  in  spite  of 
him.  If  there  was  wind  enough  to  help  us  use  our  sails,  we'd  be 
all  right." 

There  was  reason  for  uneasiness,  and  for  all  they  could  do.  To 
be  caught  in  a  fog  on  the  sea  without  a  compass  is  almost  like  being 
smitten  with  a  sudden  blindness  in  a  howling  wilderness. 

The  boys,  pulling  bravely  at  their  oars,  made  directly  for  Port  Mou- 


I 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


67 


ton  Head  as  the  nearest  land,  the  Iiome-cove  being  three  miles  dis- 
tant. But  in  five  minutes  the  fog  was  upon  Ihem,  shutting  out  every- 
thing with  a  pall,  and  breathing  such  a  drizzle  upon  them  that  the 
water  dripped  from  their  tarpaulin  hats  and  dropped  upon  their  oar- 
handles  with  a  ceaseless  patter. 

With  the  coming  of  the  foe  the  wind  sprang  up.  and  the  little 
masts  were  stepped  and  sail  spread,  and  Dick,  arguing  in  his  own 
mind  that  as  the  fog  rolled  in  from  the  sea  the  wind  must  be  blow- 
ing in  shore,  he  steered  before  it,  confident  that  they  would  soon 
regain  their  bearings. 

The  wind  stiffened  into  a  steady  breeze,  so  that  the  waves  began 
to  put  on  their  whitecaps. 

"Jack,"  said  Dick,  "that  halibut  must  be  fastened  in  place,  and 
then  it  will  serve  for  ballast  instead  of  slipping  around  like  a  greased 
pig.  Tie  his  tail  to  the  after-thwart  and  his  head  to  the  forward  one  ; 
that'll  keep  him  fore  and  aft ;  then  cross-line  him  to  the  larboard 
and  starboard  tholpln  holes  ;  that  will  steady  him  amidships,  and  then 
the  Carolina  will  be  trimmed  like  a  duck  and  will  keep  as  dry  as  the 
inside  of  a  frying  pan." 

The  effect  of  these  precautions  was  so  good,  and  the  boat  now 
labored  so  easily,  that  Dick,  more  anxious  for  his  brother  than  for 
himself,  said :  "  Now,  Jack,  is  a  good  time  for  you  to  take  your 
grub ;  you  must  be  hungry.  When  you  get  through,  you  may  take 
the  tiller,  and  I'll  take  a  turn  at  the  jug  and  the  bread  and  butter." 

But  when  his  turn  came,  he  only  nibbled  and  swallowed  for  the 
sake  of  appearances,  and  quickly  resumed  control  of  the  Carolina. 
The  fog  had  condensed  into  a  fine  rain  and  the  wind  was  steadily  in- 
creasing in  force,  and  Dick  was  becoming  more  and  more  uneasy. 

"  Get  out  the  oil  clothes,"  he  said,  "  there's  no  need  of  our  get- 
ting wet.  And  while  you  are  about  it.  see  if  the  bailing  bucket  Is  in 
the  well-hole ;  the  Carolina  is  acting  splendidly,  but  in  spite  of  her, 
the  spray  comes  in  over  the  bow  occasionally." 

When  these  things  were  attended  to,  the  situation  required  that 
the  mainsail  should  be  taken  in  and  the  foresail  reefed  to  but  a  third 
of  its  spread. 


ij.-;;; 


«tiittK^tiim|»MN»f-^f«f««»« 


68 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


iv    I 


To  his  dismay,  Dick  now  realized  that  he  was  entirely  wrong  in 
his  conjecture  about  the  direction  of  the  wind ;  the  deep  swell  of  the 
sea  convinced  him  that  he  had  been  running  directly  off  shore  in- 
stead of  toward  it,  and  that  the  boat  was  now  off  soundings.  The 
wind  was  so  strong,  that  the  only  alternative  left  was  to  keep  before 
it.  To  add  to  his  trouble,  the  increasing  gloom  showed  that  the 
night  was  settling  down.  He  had  one  hope  to  cheer  him,  however ; 
if  the  clouds  should  break,  and  give  him  a  clear  sky,  he  knew  enough 
about  the  stars  to  find  his  way  back  to  land.  But  this  hope  dimin- 
ished rapidly,  when  he  reflected  that,  clear  or  foul,  so  long  as  the 
wind  continued  in  its  present  quarter,  it  would  be  impossible  for  him 
to  shift  his  course 

He  knew  that  Jack  was  as  quick  as  himself  to  take  in  things,  and. 
seeing  that  he  was  doing  a  good  deal  of  thinking,  notwithstanding  he 
was  so  quiet,  he  said  :  "  Jack,  we  are  in  a  bad  fix,  and  what  is  to 
come  of  it,  is  more  than  I  can  tell ;  but  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to 
keep  on  top  of  the  water  till  we  are  picked  up  by  some  vessel." 

"Yes,  I  know  we're  in  a  bad  fix.  Old  Gray  Blanket  has  got  us 
this  time;  but  we're  in  a  good  boat,  and  if  you  think  I'm  going  to 
sniffle,  you're  mightily  mistaken,"  Jack  replied,  sturdily,  snipping  all 
his  pronouns  in  his  haste  to  express  the  result  of  his  own  reflections. 
"  You  are  captain,"  he  continued,  "  and  I  am  your  mate, and  a  mate 
must  stick  by  his  captain  and  his  ship  the  best  he  knows  how.  But 
I  am  awful  hungry,  and  you  must  be,  too,  and  the  best  thing  for  us 
to  do  before  the  night  sets  in,  is  to  take  a  bite ;  we  haven't  had  any- 
thing of  any  account  since  breakfast." 

"  Why,  Jack!  I  didn't  know  that  you  carried  pluck  by  the  barrel ! 
You  have  taken  loads  from  my  shoulders.  I  have  been  saying  to 
myself :  *  If  I  can  only  get  Jack  safely  back.  I  don't  care  what  be- 
comes of  me,'  and  now  you  show  up  as  the  kind  of  fellow  who  is  going 
to  make  it  safer  for  both  of  us.  Get  out  the  grub  as  soon  as  you  can  ; 
you  can't  be  any  hungrier  than  I  am." 

"  But  we  are  on  short  allowance  now,  and  must  be  sa  .ng  of  our 
supplies,  though  if  we  get  too  hard  up  we  have  the  halibut  for  a 
stand-off,"  and  Jack  brought  out  the  food,  and  each  one  tried  to  see 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


69 


how  sparingly  he  could  eat  of  it,  the  while  thinking  of  those  at  home 
and  what  they  were  now  going  through  on  account  of  the  failure  of 
the  Carolina  to  return. 

"Now,"  said  Dick,  when  the  remainder  of  the  food  was  carefully 
stowed  in  the  cuddy-hole  again,  "  you  must  strip  the  mainsail  from 
the  heel  of  the  mast  and  bring  it  aft ;  we  can  pull  it  over  our  feet 
and  up  to  our  waists,  and  that  will  keep  us  quite  comfortable  in  spite 
of  the  chilly  air." 

When  this  arrangement  was  completed,  Dick  said :  "  It  will  have 
to  be  watch  and  watch  with  us.  Jack.  You  cuddle  down  now  and  go 
to  sleep,  and  when  I  can't  stand  it  any  longer,  I'll  wake  you  and  take 
a  nap  myself." 

It  was  a  weary  watch  for  Dick,  however,  and  was  made  doubly 
trying  because  Jack,  affected  by  the  uneasy  movements  of  the  boat, 
would  every  once  in  a  while  murmur  something  about  home  and  the 
incidents  of  the  early  morning.  The  vague,  melancholy  roar  of  the 
sea,  the  thick  blackness  of  the  night,  and  the  thought  of  the  uncer- 
tainties by  which  the  boat  was  beset,  at  times  almost  overpowered 
him.  How  long  he  had  watched  he  had  no  means  of  knowing,  he 
only  knew  that  he  was  getting  very  drowsy,  and  that  Jack  was  still 
sleeping,  when  he  thought  he  heard  a  sound  that  was  different  from 
the  monotonous  swash  of  the  waves  around  him.  Hearing  it  more 
distinctly,  and  confident  that  he  was  not  deceived,  yet  wishing  to  have 
Jack's  ears  to  confirm  his  own,  he  said: 

"Jack— Jack,  wake  up,  wake  up!     I  hear  something." 

"  It  sounds  like  a  steamer,"  Jack  exclaimed,  excitedly,  the  mo- 
ment he  was  fully  awake. 

Yes !  There  she  was,  looming  before  them  with  her  high  forward 
lights  gleaming  through  the  darkness,  and  her  engines  throbbing 
loudly  above  the  sound  of  the  sea,  and  so  close  that  the  boys  stood 
up  in  their  boat  and  united  their  voices  in  a  desperate  cry  for 
succor.  But  she  thundered  by,  little  dreaming  of  the  despair  she 
left  behind. 

"  Oh,  Dick!  It's  awful  to  be  left  in  this  way,"  Jack  cried,  in  the 
bitterness  of  his  disappointment. 


>lP1l|l|lll(IIIU1iM|||i;^llllU|j|liU,UU««.r 


>'*{»»fmftti.- 


70 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"It  might  have  been  worse  ;  we  have  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
being  run  over.  I'm  thankful  that  she  came  no  nearer.  Don't  give 
up,  old  fellow;  wait  till  daylight  comes;  then  if  this  confounded  fog 
will  clear  away,  we'll  have  a  chance  to  sight  and  signal  isome  vessel 
that  will  pick  us  up." 

But  the  morning  brought  no  improvement  in  the  weather.  The 
fog  was  thick  and  the  sea  rough,  and  under  their  little  patch  of  sail 
they  were  still  scudding  before  a  strong  wind.  Overcome  with 
fatigue  toward  noon,  Dick  fell  asleep,  and  Jack  handled  the  boat  as 
if  his  brother's  life  depended  upon  his  care.  The  second  night  was 
much  like  the  first,  but  on  the  third  morning  the  wind  fell  and  the 
sea  was  so  calm  it  seemed  as  though  the  little  craft  floated  through 
thick  clouds. 

The  scanty  supply  of  food  was  exhausted,  and  the  jug  of  butter- 
milk, from  which  they  had  drawn  ve#y  sparingly,  was  getting  low. 
But,  while  the'boat  drifted  idly  upon  the  foggy  sea,  the  boys  exam- 
ined her  from  stem  to  stern,  re-stepped  their  mainmast,  and  made 
ready,  so  far  as  they  could,  for  any  fresh  emergency. 

Having  finished  this  work,  Jack  looked  at  the  halibut,  and,  as  if 
inspired,  suddenly  exclaimed :  "  Say.  Dick,  if  we  had  matches  we 
might  get  our  meals  from  the  halibut  and  lobster." 

"  My  match-safe  is  full  of  matches ;  much  good  will  they  do  us 
here." 

"We'll  see,"  said  Jack,  going  forward  and  pulling  from  the  cuddy 
there  four  or  five  short  pieces  of  dry  pine  board  he  noticed  there  the 
morning  they  started  on  their  trip.  As  they  were  short  and  thin,  he 
found  no  difficulty  in  splitting  them  into  small  pieces. 

"What  are  you  about.  Jack?    You  can't  kindle  a  fire  here." 

"  Don't  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  flop  a  fellow  over ;  wait  and 
see  what  he  is  about  before  you  fire  at  him,"  and  Jack  began  pro- 
ceedings, which,  as  they  developed,  excited  Dick's  admiration  to  the 
highest  pitch. 

The  halibut  laid  with  its  gray  side  up.  In  the  middle  of  the  back, 
Jack  slashed  a  square  about  fourteen  inches  in  size, and  then  sinking 
his  knife  deeply  into  the  flesh,  he  removed  long  thin  slices  of  hali- 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


71 


but,  which  he  placed  neatly  upon  the  thwart  beside  him.  When  his 
operation  was  completed,  he  had  a  square  cavity,  which,  at  a  depth 
of  four  inches,  ended  against  the  backbone.  The  boat's  painter,  or 
cable,  consisted  of  a  long  small  chain  ;  taking  this  and  washing  it  in 
the  sea.  he  strung  it  in  four  lengths,  from  thwart  to  thwart,  each 
length  being  separated  from  its  fellow  by  the  space  of  an  inch 
and  a  half,  and  the  whole  sagging  downward  directly  over  the  hole 
cut  into  the  halibut.  Kindling  a  small  fire  in  the  hole  cut  in  the 
halibut,  Jack  laid  the  pieces  he  had  cut  out  upon  the  chain  over  the 
fire,  and  then  broke  off  the  legs  and  claws  of  the  lobster  and  laid 
them  on  the  chain  also. 

"That  beats  Columbus'  egg  business  out  of  sight!"  Dick  ex- 
claimed, at  the  same  time  clapping  his  hands  with  such  force  that 
they  sounded  like  fire-crackers. 

"  You  could  have  done  it  yourself,  if  you  had  only  thought  of  it," 
Jack  replied,  with  a  sickly  attempt  at  fun.  "  It  is  poor  cooking,  yet 
it  is  ever  so  much  better  than  being  obliged  to  eat  raw  lobster  and 
halibut.  If  we  only  had  salt  and  pepper,  we  would  make  quite  a 
feast.  After  the  fire  goes  out,  there'll  be  lots  of  roast  meat  where 
it's  been  burning,  and  we  can  cut  that  out  and  put  it  in  the  basket, 
so  that  if  it  comes  on  to  rain  when  next  eating  time  comes  we'll  be 
independent  of  a  cooking  stove." 

"  I  am  proud  of  you,  jack,  and  wouldn't  swap  you  for  a  kingdom. 
Now  let's  try  your  cooking."  And  Dick  took  one  of  the  lobster 
legs  and  a  slip  of  crisply  browned  halibut,  and  relished  both  so 
keenly,  he  served  himself  a  second  time.  Jack,  the  while,  doing  the 
same  with  equal  satisfaction.  Each  one  of  the  claws  was  sufficient 
for  a  meal  in  itself,  but,  as  neither  was  needed  for  present  wants, 
though  both  were  thoroughly  cooked,  they  were  laid  by  for  future  use. 

"  Those  tough  shells  make  first  class  canned  meats  of  them." 
Jack  obseived,  "and  they'll  keep  till  we  want  them.  At  any  rate, 
we've  twc  days'  grub  provided  for,  and  that  will  save  our  wood." 
But,  while  the  boy  was  trying  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation,  his 
heart  protested  against  the  idea  of  being  obliged  to  spend  two  days 
more  in  the  little  craft  upon  the  open  sea. 


'I    H 


n 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


There  was  not  a  breath  of  wind  c'uring  the  forenoon,  and  the  fog 
clung  to  the  water  more  closely  and  thickly  than  ever,  and  the  long, 
gentle  swell  of  the  waves  had  such  a  stupefying  effect,  both  boys  fell 
asleep.  It  was  sometime  before  they  awoke,  and  when  they  did,  the 
rain  was  pattering  in  their  faces.  The  return  to  consciousness  was 
accompanied  with  such  a  sinking  of  heart,  that  Jack  proposed  that 
they  should  repeat  the  Lord's  prayer  together,  and  the  words  had 
such  a  quickening  effect  upon  them  that  the  stronger  side  of  their 
nature  began  to  assert  itself  immediately. 

They  unstepped  the  mainmast  again  and  used  the  mainsail  as 
they  had  done  before  to  economize  their  heat  by  pulling  it  up  about 
their  legs  and  waists. 

"  Say,  Dick  do  you  see  those  little  brooks  running  down  the  folds 
of  the  canv  '  Jack  asked,  after  watching  the  little  streams  chase 
one  another  for  some  time. 

"  Yes,"  Dick  said  quickly,  "  and  I  know  what  your  quick  wits  are 
running  after  now.     Let's  get  about  it  right  away." 

The  bailing  bucket  was  carefully  rinsed  in  the  sea  and  held  bottom 
upward  till  the  last  drop  of  saU  water  had  run  out  of  it,  after  which 
it  was  placed  in  the  bailing  well  of  the  boat,  where,  by  carefully  ar- 
ranging the  canvas  sail,  the  tiny  streams  of  fresh  water  all  found 
their  way  into  it  until  they  had  nearly  enough  rainwater  to  fill 
their  jug. 

"  it  is  a  little  brackish  because  it  has  passed  over  the  canvas." 
Dick  said,  after  tasting  it,  "  but  it  is  a  god-send  to  us  nevertheless, 
and  it  won't  hurt  you.  Jack,  if  you  take  a  big  swig  at  it." 

The  dismally  still  day  gave  way  to  another  night  that  began  with 
a  rising  sea  and  a  driving  wind,  before  which  the  Carolina  sped  like 
a  frightened  spirit.  The  darkness  seemed  like  infinite  space,  and 
the  hours  like  eternity.  The  strain  became  too  great  for  Jack,  and 
he  suddenly  wailed :  "  Oh  Dick  I  do  say  something,  or  I  shall  go 
crazy  and  jump  overboard." 

Dick  was  startled  out  of  his  desponding  silence  by  the  poignancy 
of  his  brother's  cry,  and  putting  his  arm  around  him,  he  said: 
"Steady  Jack!     Think  how  well  we  are  doing!     The  Carolina  is 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


73 


doing  all  she  can  to  keep  us  above  water ;  you  have  settled  the  food 
and  water  business  for  us,  and  neither  of  us  have  really  suffered  yet. 
This  kind  of  weather  can't  hold  out  much  longer.  If  Old  Gray 
Blanket  will  only  take  himself  off  and  let  us  out  of  his  embrace,  in 
the  morning  we  may  catch  sight  of  a  sail  near  enough  to  signal. 
We  must  be  in  the  track  of  sea-going  vessels." 

"  I  know  I  am  a  baby,  Dick,  but  I  couldn't  help  it.  when  I  thought 
of  father  and  mother,  and  the  rest  of  them.  You  have  put  me  on 
deck  again,  and  there  I'll  stay  whatever  comes.  Let  me  take  a 
trick  at  the  tiller ;  you  must  be  tired.  You  know  that  I  can  handle 
the  Carolina  almost  as  well  as  you  do." 

"Certainly,  Jack,  steer  all  you  want  to;  it  will  take  up  your 
thoughts.  I  only  kept  at  it  myself  because  I  didn't  want  you  to  get 
tired." 

The  work  of  steering  relieved  Jack's  tension  far  more  than  Dick 
had  hoped  for,  and  presently  the  two  were  chatting  quite  cheerfully 
about  their  hopes  and  prospects. 

Suddenly,  Dick  threw  the  sail  from  his  feet,  and,  giving  vent  to  a 
suppressed  exclamation,  hurried  to  the  forward  part  of  the  boat. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  Jack  asked,  his  heart  almost  bursting  with  mingled 
fear  and  hope. 


f'   ! 


1 


i 


*-^ 


ALMOST  UNKNOWN 

LIGHT!— a  light- 
house, and  dead 
ahead,"  Dick  shouted. 

"Surely,  Dick?"  Jack  asked, 
tremblingly,  thinking  of  the  bit- 
ter disappointment  they  experi- 
enced when  the  steamer  went 
by  them  and  vanished  in  the 
night. 

Dick  hurried  astern  again, 
and  taking  the  tiller  from  Jack, 
said :  •'  Yes,  surely  enough.  No 
vessel  light  hangs  so  steadily  as 
that,  nor  would  any  mere  house 
light  show  up  so  big.  It's  all 
right  with  us  now,  old  fellow ; 
we've  a  fair  wind  that  will  take  us 
straight  toward  it.  Go  forward 
and  watch,  and  see  that  I  keep  the  Carolina's  bow  glued  to  that  light." 

75 


76 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Jack  now  saw  the  light  for  himself,  and  if  the  boat  sheered  either  ^ 
one  way  or  the  other  from  the  requisite  course,  Dick  got  his  direc- 
tions quickly  and  sharply  from  the  bow,  and  answered  them,  first  by 
word,  to  show  that  he  understood  his  orders,  and  then  by  tiller,  to  ' 
prove  that  they  were  obeyed.     And  when  his  brother's—"  Steady 
there,  as  she  goes,"  came  back,  Dick's  sensitive  hand  counter-   . 
checked  every  wave  that  tended  to  make  the  boat  yaw  either  one 
way  or  the  other. 

They  were  out  of  the  fog  now.  though  heavy  clouds  covered  the 
upper  sky.  In  half  an  hour  they  were  in  sight  of  land,  and  shortly 
after  they  heard  the  surf  beating  upon  a  sandy  beach  as  plainly  as 
they  ever  heard  the  surf  beat  upon  Kempton's  beach  at  Black  Point. 
When  they  came  in  sight  of  the  shore-line  they  skirted  the  coast  in 
the  hope  of  finding  a  break  or  inlet  that  would  admit  of  a  safe  en- 
trance. Meanwhile,  the  light  disappeared,  hidden  by  the  low  hills,  ' 
which  proved  to  Dick  that  there  was  another  shore-line  opposite  to 
that  along  which  they  were  making  their  way,  a  fact  which  puzzled 
him  not  a  little. 

"  That's  the  longest  beach  I  ever  saw  or  heard  of,"  Jack  called 
from  the  lookout.  "  I'll  come  and  take  the  tiller  and  let  you  come 
here  and  take  a  look  ahead." 

When  Dick  had  made  his  observations,  he  returned  to  the  tiller, 
saying,  with  some  misgivings :  "  Unstep  the  masts,  Jack,  and  make 
everything  snug  and  tight,  while  I  hold  the  boat  with  the  oars.  We 
can't  afford  to  run  this  way  any  longer,  but  must  head  through  that 
surf  and  take  our  chances ;  at  the  worst  we  can  only  get  a  sous- 
ing. We  have  tried  this  surf  business  again  and  again  in  fun,  and 
never  met  with  an  accident ;  now  we  will  try  it  in  earnest.  Are  you 
ready?"       ■■  '  -     '       . 

Yes,  Jack  was  already  on  his  thwart,  ready  to  keep  time  with 
Dick's  stroke,  and  the  Carolina  started  boldly  toward  the  beach. 

The  boys  had  long  before  learned  a  very  curious  fact  about  the  mo- 
tion of  the  waves,  and  their  knowledge  now  stood  them  in  good  stead. 
In  making  the  shore,  the  waves  go  by  groups  of  seven ;  number  one 
is  the  smallest  in  size,  and  the  seventh  wave  is  the  highest,  after 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


77 


ith 


which  comes  number  one  again,  and  so  on.  in  endless  repetition  of 
the  same  series.  The  seventh  wave,  of  course,  goes  the  farthe.st  up 
any  beach  that  may  be  in  the  way. 

"  Now,  look  out  for  the  Old  Seventh,"  Dick  said,  repeating  the 
knowledge  that  both  were  familiar  with,  in  order  to  secure  perfect 
concert  of  action.  •'  And  don't  let  any  seventh  take  us  by  the  keel 
unless  she  has  her  curls  out,"  alluding  to  the  moment  when  the 
wave  begins  to  break  and  shows  the  curve,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  things  in  the  whole  world  of  nature.  "  I  don't  think  we 
shall  be  in  any  danger  of  being  pit6h-poled  end  for  end  In  this  craft ; 
she's  never  turned  a  somersault  under  us  yet  in  all  our  foolings  at 
Black  Point.  But  if  she  should,  look  out  for  her  gunwales  when  you 
leap  Into  the  water,  and  keep  your  head  to  land,  and  when  you  think 
you  are  about  to  be  flung  upon  the  shore,  spread  yourself  like  a  frog, 
and  you  will  come  down  upon  the  sand  as  easy  as  a  bird  striking  its 
roost." 

They  hung  to  their  oars  a  moment,  steadying  their  spirits  and 
knotting  their  muscles  for  the  crisis. 

"  Ready,  Jack,  there  she  comes  I" 

The  seventh's  fore-curl  caught  the  Carolina  just  under  the  bow. 
No  need  of  oars  now,  to  drive  ahead  !  The  boat  sped  like  an  arrow 
toward  the  beach. 

"Jump!"  shouted  Dick,  whose  anxiety  had  concentrated  itself 
upon  his  brother. 

Both  landed  at  the  same  instant,  in  three  feet  of  water,  and,  not- 
withstanding the  strength  of  the  undertow,  safely  gained  the  dry 
beach,  while  the  Carolina  went  out  with  the  reflux,  but  only  to  be 
caught  again  with  the  surf  and  flung  by  the  nexl  seventh  up  the 
beach  w'th  such  force  that  she  lay  a  hopeless  mas  of  kindling  wood. 

"Good-by,  you  old  darling!"  sighed  Jack,  viewing  the  crushed 
gunwales,  "  but  you've  saved  our  lives,  anyway." 

"  Yes,  she  has,"  Dick  responded,  feelingly,  "  under  God  she  has, 
indeed!" 

Now,  that  the  tension  of  the  excitement  was  over,  Jack  trembled 


78 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


as  if  he  had  the  palsy.  "  I'm  cold  as  ice,"  he  complained,  "  can't 
you  find  somt  driftwood  and  kindle  a  fire  ?" 

"  Steady,  Jack!  You  musn't  wilt,  now  that  you've  won.  I'll  have 
a  fire  before  long.  The  stuff  of  the  Carolina  is  wet  on  the  outsid-T, 
but  I  can  soon  whittle  down  to  the  dry  of  some  of  the  pieces,  and 
get  a  flame  that  will  make  you  as  warm  as  toast." 

"  No,  no !  Not  a  stick  of  the  boat !"'  Jack  protested,  vehemently, 
though  his  teeth  were  knocking  together  like  castanets.  "  How  can 
you  think  of  it?  Let  her  bleacn  on  the  sands,  if  she  must,  but  we 
won't  destroy  a  splinter  of  her.  There  must  be  stuff  enough  on  the 
vpper  beach  for  a  fire  ;  there  was  always  enough  of  it  on  the  beaches 
at  home.  ' 

They  did  not  search  long  before  they  came  to  a  great  heap  of 
wreckage,  tangled  around  a  mast,  a  yard-arm  and  the  splintered 
fragments  of  a  ship's  cabin.  With  little  trouble,  they  discovered 
plenty  of  dry  wood  under  the  upper  layer  of  planking  and  boards, 
and  "ioon  had  a  generous  fire,  which  quickly  restored  Jack's  warmth 
and  spirits. 

"  Now,  for  a  nap,"  said  Dick,  "  there's  neavy  enough  stuff  in  that 
tire  to  make  it  last  two  hours,  at  the  least." 

Lying  upon  the  sand,  folded  in  each  other's  embrace,  and  effect- 
ually protected  from  the  sand  by  their  oil-clothes,  they  fell  asleep 

When  they  awoke,  the  sun  was  shining,  and  thousands  of  gulls 
were  whirling  and  shrieking  around  them  in  a  vast  circle,  drawn, 
doubtless,  by  the  scent  of  the  halibut  wi  "  was  thrown  high  upon 
the  beach,  yet  made  angry  and  uneasy  by  the  two  prostrate  human 
forms  and  the  still  smoking  embers  of  the  fire. 

"Well,  how  are  we?"  were  Dick's  first  words,  as  he  peered  over 
into  Jack's  eyes,  and  found  them  looking  at  the  gulls  in  a  dazed  sort 
of  way,  he  not  being  fully  awake  yet. 

"Tip-top,"  said  Jack,  heartily,  again  coming  to  a  full  sense  of 
his  surroundings,  and  spring^g  to  his  feet  with  his  wonted  nim- 
bleness. 

"  You  had  such  a  fit  of  the  ague  last  night,  !  was  sure  you'd  have 
a  fever  this  morning." 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


79 


••  Oh,  there  was  no  ague  about  it;  I  was  just  plum  frightened, 
that  was  all.  '^hen  everything  was  going  on  against  us,  my  dander 
kept  up,  but  as  soon  as  the  danger  was  over.  1  turned  cirward  all 
in  a  heap." 

The  sun  was  so  warm,  both  boys  threw  off  the  yellow  oil-clothes, 
which  had  kept  them  so  nice  and  dry,  and  began  to  shake  the 
wrinkles  out  of  their  other  garments  and  to  make  themselves  straight 
generally.  Jack,  who  never  ventured  out  without  a  comb  in  his 
pocket,  and  who  had  often  been  laughed  at  by  Dick  for  being  so 
anxious  about  his  long  locks,  produced  that  useful  article  and  trimmed 
his  hair  with  his  usual  care. 

"  it  has  made  such  an  improvement  in  your  appearance,  old 
fellow,  I'd  like  to  apply  it  to  my  own  pumpkin,  and  if  you'll  pass  it 
over  this  way,  V\\  never  make  fun  of  your  comb-carrying  again." 
Dick  was  standing  some  distance  away,  and  Jack  threw  the  comb  to 
him,  and  as  it  was  going  high,  it  required  an  upward  leap  to  reach  it 
to  prevent  it  from  going  into  the  sand  beyond.  The  movements  of 
the  boys  created  a  great  excitement  among  the  gulls,  and  when  the 
comb  was  thrown,  it  was  evidently  taken  as  the  gage  of  battle,  for 
they  v/hisked  at  them  with  their  wings  and  screamed  at  them  with  a 
ferocity  that  was  positively  startling;  nor  were  they  frightened  away 
until  Dick  and  Jack  seized  the  oil-clothes  and  waved  them  in  the  air 
by  way  of  defense. 

"  They  are  hungry  for  that  halibut,"  said  Dick.  "  but  I  guess  we 
shall  have  to  have  another  Hig  at  it  before  we  resign  it  to  them." 

"Mercy,  no!"  exclaimed  Jack.  "I'm  hungry,  but  not  hungry 
enough  to  touch  a  fish  that's  been  out  of  water  and  without  salt  as 
long  as  that  halibut  has.  If  our  canned  lobster  (referring  to  the 
roasted  lobster  claws)  was  on  hand  we'd  talk  about  breakfasting  here, 
for  the  shells  would  ':eep  them  in  good  shape." 

"  Don't  be  so  sure,  old  boy,  about  not  touching  that  halibut 
again.  It  has  been  so  chilly  and  cloudy  since  we  made  his 
acquaintance,  that  you  may  depend  upon  it,  the  meat  has  lost  none 
of  its  sweetness.     At  any  rate,  h.-wing  so  many  live  coals  handy,  I'm 


V: 


t'r   W' 


f     fi'j 


i  lli 


..  iit'-i 


:   I 


!■';   l:fi;i| 


M 

V,   1; 


80 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


going  to  try  for  a  fresh  steak  and  a  fresh  bite  before  we  begin  to 
travel  inland." 

Dick  proved  to  be  right,  for  on  removing  the  skin  from  the  back 
and  cutting  near  to  the  backbone,  the  meat  was  found  to  be  per- 
fectly fresh.  When  the  steaks  were  cooked  over  the  coals,  Jack  ate 
of  them  without  squeamishness,  so  that  the  two  were  not  as  hollow 
as  they  were  when  they  awoke. 

Seeing  that  the  sails,  masts  and  oars  and  other  equipments  of  the 
Carolina  were  scattered  about  on  the  beach,  the  boys  picked  them 
up  and  carefully  deposited  them  on  the  upper  beach  in  a  pile 
together,  impelled  more  by  sentiment  than  they  were  by  any  con- 
viction of  any  possible  use  to  which  the  things  could  be  put  in  the 
future. 

Among  the  other  cast  ups,  they  found  the  remains  of  the  giant 
lobster,  which,  out  of  mere  sport.  Jack,  who  had  recovered  all  his 
natural  spirits,  fetched  and  placed  by  the  side  of  the  halibut. 
"  There,"  he  said,  "  as  soon  as  we  are  gone  from  here,  the  gulls 
will  get  in  their  work,  and  Old  Hal  will  have  nothing  but  his  skeleton 
left  to  keep  him  company,  but  as  Old  Lob  carries  his  skeleton  out- 
side, they  will  not  find  him  so  easy  to  manage,  unless  their  bills  are 
strong  enough  to  act  as  a  can-opener." 

"  it's  time  we  began  V  find  out  where  we  are,"  said  Dick.  "  I 
have  almost  cracked  my  head  guessing.  It  can't  be  possible  that 
we  have  crossed  the  Bay  of  Fundy  and  landed  in  the  United  States ; 
and  yet  that's  about  the  only  thing  I  can  make  of  it." 

Ta'.cing  their  oil-suits  on  their  arms,  they  started  to  explore,  but 
they  had  no  sooner  gone  inland  a  short  distance  than  they  were 
bewildered  by  the  innumerable  conical  sand-dunes  that  beset  them 
on  every  side. 

"  I'd  as  soon  get  lost  in  the  woods  as  to  get  lost  among  these 
confounded  sugar-loaves  !"  jack  exclaimed.  "  Let's  climb  one  of 
them  ;  that  lighthouse  must  be  somewhere  around  here,  and  if  we 
can  get  a  sight  of  It,  it  will  be  a  sort  of  a  guide  to  us,  even  in  the 
daylight." 

They  selected  one  of  the  highest  dunes,  or  sand-hills,  they  could 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


81 


find,  and  with  some  difficulty  made  their  way  through  the  yielding 
sand  up  to  the  top,  which  had  an  elevation  of  about  fifty  feet  from 
the  level  below. 

"  United  States  !"  Jack  cried  ;  "  if  this  is  the  United  States,  I  say 
let's  us  get  out  of  it  as  soon  as  possible.  It's  worse  than  Black 
Poini.  Sand,  sand,  everywhere,  and  trees  nowhere.  Why,  it's  an 
island,  Dick !  There's  no  United  States  about  this  place  !  We 
left  the  sea  behind  us  ;  there's  the  sea  down  at  that  ugly  flat  point 
we  can  see ;  and  the  sea  on  the  other  side  not  more  than  a  mile 
away ;  and  sea,  sea  as  far  as  we  can  sight  up  the  coast  on  each  sid^-. 
And  one,  two,  three,  four,  five — five  wrecks  in  sight  from  where  V2 
stand  ;  and  black  specks  further  up  that  must  be  wrecks  also.  Well, 
this  is  the  funniest  country  I  ever  saw-  hummocked  all  over  with 
sand-hills  as  thick  as  potato  hills,  narrow  as  the  edge  of  a  clam,  and 
stretching  out  like  a  sailor's  yarn."  Jack  went  on  until  forced  to 
stop  to  get  his  breath. 

"  Well,  there  is  the  lighthouse,  anyway,  and  several  other  houses 
near  it,"  Dick  began.  "  And  they  ate  not  so  very  far  away,  either. 
If  we  want  to  keep  from  splitting  our  heads  open  with  mere  guess- 
work, we'd  better  hurry  over  there  and  find  out  something  that  we 
can  settle  down  to." 

When  they  approached  the  little  cluster  of  red  buildings,  which 
seemed  to  have  been  accidentally  dropped  upon  the  sands,  they  saw 
that  only  one  of  them  was  arranged  for  occupation,  and  around  that 
one  no  sign  of  life  appeared,  save  a  thin  spiral  of  smoke  ascending 
from  one  of  the  two  chimneys.  But  on  turning  the  bow  of  an  over- 
turr  ed  boat,  that  was  certainlv  on  its  last  legs,  it  was  so  shattered 
and  weather-worn,  an  immense  St.  Bernard  dog,  with  white  breast, 
toes  and  tip  of  tail,  contrasting  with  a  body  of  greyish  brown,  came 
from  under  the  boat  and  sprang  toward  them.  The  boys  understood 
dogs  well  enough  to  know  that  his  intentions  were  pacific.  In  addition 
to  the  wagging  of  his  great  bushy  tail,  and  barking  with  a  voice  big 
enough  for  an  elephant,  he  rolled  on  the  sand  at  their  feet,  licked 
their  hands,  placed  his  great  paws  on  their  shoulders,  and  otherwise 
appeared  as  if  he  were  in  imminent  danger  of  getting  up  a  quarrel 


82 


DICK  AND   JACKS  ADVENTURES 


I 


♦  . 
■ 


with  himself  for  not  having  studied  the  English  language  sufficiently 
to  enable  him  to  set  his  welcome  to  words. 

Aroused  by  his  barking,  two  men  came  out  of  the  house,  and  one 
of  them  immediately  shouted  :    "  Down,  Bingo!  down,  you  lubber!" 

Bingo  went  down  like  a  log  ;  yet,  though  his  huge  body  was  so 
still,  his  big  intelligent  eyes  continued  to  show  the  kind  of  stuff  he 
was  made  of. 

The  men,  who  were  roughly  clad,  shaggily  bearded,  and  deeply 
bronzed,  came  up  to  the  boys  and  stared  at  them  as  though  they  had 
just  descended  from  the  skies.  The  one  who  ordered  the  dog  down, 
shaking  with  excitement,  and  stum.bling  in  his  speech,  asked  : 

"  Who  the  deuce  be  you  ?  where  the  blazes  did  yer  come  frum  > 
'nd  how  'n  the  divil  d'ye  git  here  ?" 

During  this  volley  his  companion,  a  giant  of  a  fellow  for  height  and 
expanse  of  chest  and  stomach,  stood  looking  on  with  amazed  blue 
eyes,  and  a  mouth  so  widely  opened  that  the  whole  interior  could 
have  been  photographed  if  there  had  been  a  snap-shot  kodak  turned 
on  him. 

The  boys  were  astonished  to  find  themselves  objects  of  wonder, 
but  Dick  promptly  answered :  '•  We  are  the  Melville  boys  from 
Black  Point,  and  we  came  ashore  last  night  on  the  beach  over 
yonder  in  a  small  whaleboat  in  which  we  were  blown  to  sea  during  a 
thick  fog." 

"  Look  here,  youngster,  you  don't  mean  to  spin  that  yarn  to  us  for 
a  fact,  do  you  ?" 

"  What  else  should  i  spin  it  for." 

"  But  it's  unpossible,  lads — downright  unpossible  !  No  youngsters 
under  the  sun  could  get  through  the  surf  over  there  alive  onless  they 
was  born'd  fish  or  had  grow'd  up  in  jist  such  diggin's  as  these.  Beg- 
gin'  your  pardon  — if  you  please-  1  say  it's  monstrously  unpossible." 
Yet  the  man  was  actually  perspiring  between  the  incredibility  of  the 
circumstance  and  the  evidence  of  his  eyes. 

"  Dot  must  pe  some  faxs,"  the  giant  began  ;  "  dem  poys  vas  here 
vor  a  fax.  und  if  ve  don  t  fetch  it  she  hafe  fetched  hisseluf, 
don't  it?" 


**  WHO   THE    DEUCE    BE    YOU  t 
83 


1 1: 1   i 


|[     5  • 


J  1 
i 


''-'§ 


ii 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


85 


The  broken  language,  the  confusion  of  genders  and  the  comical 
attempt  to  harmonize  apparent  contradictions,  together  with  the  per- 
plexed face  of  the  speaker,  threw  Dick  and  Jack  into  convulsions  of 
mirth  in  spite  of  their  efforts  to  restrain  themselves.  This,  instead 
of  displeasing  the  giant,  seemed  to  draw  him  to  them,  for,  as  if 
recollecting  his  manners,  he  went  up  to  the  boys,  and  shaking  hands 
with  them,  said  :  "  If  you  vas  trop  vrom  dose  skies  vou  pe  vel- 
come." 

"  You're  here  for  a  fact,"  said  the  first  speaker,  now  smiling  at 
his  own  Incredulity,  "  but  do  you  know  where  you  are  ?" 

"  No;  that's  what  we  came  over  here  to  find  out,"  said  Dick. 
Our  people  at  home  will  be  worrying  themselves  almost  to  death 
over  our  absence,  and  we  want  to  get  back  to  them  in  the  shortest 
possible  time." 

"  Bless  my  soul,  lads  I  you  are  on  Sable  Island,  more  than  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  from  land." 

"Sable  Island!"  Dick  repeated.  'I  don't  know  much  about 
Sable  Island,  but  I  thank  God  it  was  h'ire  to  pick  us  up !" 

"You're  about  the  fust  one  what  ever  thanked  anybody  for  this 
place."  the  man  replied,  with  some  bitterness.  "  Most  people  won- 
der what  In  time  the  place  was  put  here  for.  It's  the  awfullest 
deathtrap  for  sailors  that  was  ever  set  anywhere  in  creation.  That's 
why  I  couldn't  make  out  how  you  ever  got  ashore  alive." 

"  We  have  been  in  the  surf  before,"  said  Jack, 'Black  Point 
surf,  and  in  it  for  fun." 

"  Fun  !"  the  man  almost  shouted, "  land  alive  !  what  kind  of  chaps 
be  ye?" 

"  Yes,  for  fun,"  Dick  joined  in,  thoughtfully,  "  and  but  for  the 
valuable  hints  we  got  from  our  fun,  we  couldn't  have  come  ashore  as 
we  did  last  night,  for  I'll  confess  that  your  surf  is  rather  ugly.  I  see 
now,  that  even  one's  fun  may  be  the  means  of  giving  a  fellow  some 
useful  knowledge  and  practice." 

But  let  us  introduce  the  men.  The  smaller  man's  name  was 
Brown,  and  he  was  the  keeper  of  the  light.     The  gi-^nt  was,  as  has 


I  ! 


86 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


i 


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been  seen,  a  German,  His  name  was  written  Schomphs,  but  to  save 
the  labor  of  pronouncing  it,  his  companions  called  him  jumps. 

Besides  these  two,  there  was  a  life-saving  crew  of  fourteen  men, 
who,  at  the  time,  were  out  on  their  usual  patrol  duty.  Jumps  was 
the  cook  of  the  whole  establishment. 

Jumps  respected  the  English  language  enough  to  try  to  capture  it 
for  his  use,  but  only  to  find  that  it  was  a  perfect  Gibraltar  of  rock 
and  guns.  A  Frenchman,  in  the  crew,  had  tried  to  correct  his  mis- 
use of  genders,  and  what,  with  his  own  tendency  to  an  excessive  use 
of  the  masculine  gender,  and  the  Frenchman's  tendency  to  an  excess 
of  the  feminine  gender,  he  was  constantly  getMng  between  the  devil 
and  the  deep  sea.  The  men  of  the  life  station  had  become  so  ac- 
customed to  his  double-barrelled  use  of  the  genders  that  they  didn't 
even  laugh  at  his  mistakes,  and  Jumps  became  convinced  that  there 
was  no  need  of  worrying  about  his  blunders. 

While  Brown  and  the  boys  were  talking  together,  it  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  the  giant  that  the  lads  needed  something  to  eat,  and  he 
accordingly  asked,  with  scant  ceremony,  and  breaking  in  upon  the 
conversation:  "  Mein  poys,  vas  she  hafe  no  grub  in  dem  boat? 
Und  how  long  vash  you  ven  you  don't  eat  noddins?" 

Dick  explained  that  they  had  not  suffered  much  for  want  of  food, 
and  gave  a  detailed  account  of  Jack's  cooking  arrangements,  which 
so  excited  the  giant,  he  spluttered  out :  "  Dot  Jack  vas  hafe  some 
prains  mit  his  het.  Ach  I  how  vas  he  dinks  uv  a  stove  mit  der  holi- 
but's  pack?  Ven  he  vas  here,  he  vill  make  plum  poodin'  mit  sand 
und  clams.     Put  she  vas  hongry  now,  you  pet !" 

Brown  began  to  reproach  himself  for  not  thinking  of  food  before, 
and,  by  way  of  excuse,  said :  "  You  laughed  so  easy,  and  looked  so 
fresh  and  merry,  1  forgot  all  about  offering  grub.  The  fact  is.  we 
are  so  shut  out  of  the  world,  and  see  so  few  people,  that  our  think- 
ing traps  have  got  so  rusty,  we  can  hardly  put  two  and  two 
together,  'cepting  when  a  ship  comes  ashore,  and  we  have  to  stir 
ourselves  to  save  lives.  Why,  confound  my  liver,  we  haven't  in- 
vited you   into  the  station  yet !     Jumps,  you  great   lubber,  where's 


ON  SABLE  IL":-AND 


87 


your  wits,  that  you  doni  kick  me  ana  yourself,  too,  for  bein'  so  in- 
fernally hoggish  ? 

"Ach  I  Mein  poys,  come  mit  me  und  vill  yourseliuf  up  to  der  top 
uve  dem  hats,"  and  the  surprised  giant,  taking  Dick  and  Jack  by  the 
hand,  almost  dragged  them  to  the  station. 

The  building  was  as  homely  as  a  pile  of  timber,  but  when  the  boys 
got  inside,  they  saw  that  it  was  put  up  for  strength  and  not  for 
beauty.  The  room,  in  which  they  were,  was  large  and  comfortable. 
The  moment  they  were  seated.  Brown  and  the  giant  bestirred  them- 
selves in  a  manner  that  showed  they  were  not  as  slow  as  they  repre- 
sented themselves  to  be. 

The  great  table,  to  one  end  of  which  the  boys  were  invited,  was 
soon  garnished  with  a  supply  of  good  food  which  did  credit  to  the 
giant's  cookery.  His  coffee,  though  boiled  in  a  hurry,  and  served 
vithout  milk,  was  as  highly  appreciated  by  them  as  nectar  is  iabhd 
to  have  been  relished  by  the  gods. 

Now,  that  they  had  eaten,  their  thoughts  turned  homeward  again, 
and  they  began  to  make  inquiries  about  the  means  of  communicat- 
ing with  the  mainland,  not  dreaming  but  they  could  soon  return  and 
relieve  the  anxieties  which  they  knew  must  be  distracting  those  at 
home.  Their  spirits  fell,  when  informed  that  their  stay  must,  in  the 
nature  of  the  case,  be  a  prolonged  one.  Few  visited  the  island  vol- 
untarily, and  they  were  the  adventurous  fishermen,  who  came  in 
August.  The  government  tender  had  just  made  her  last  visit  for 
the  season.  She  might  possibly  visit  the  island  again  in  the  spring, 
but  it  was  more  than  probable  that  she  would  not  succeed  in  touch- 
ing the  place  before  the  following  July  or  August.  Sable  Island  was 
described  to  the  boys  as  the  center  of  a  perfect  network  of  sand- 
spits  and  shoals ;  a  place  to  be  avoided,  rather  than  courted  ;  a  vast 
danger  station,  without  a  single  sheltering  inlet ;  an  island,  twenty- 
five  miles  in  length,  surrounded  by  a  surf-line  that  warned  all  comers 
to  keep  their  distance.  So  uncertain  were  the  government  visits, 
that  a  whole  year  had  been  known  to  pass  before  boats  could  find  a 
chance  to  land. 

This  was  depressing  news  to  the  boys,  but  when  they  were  told  of 


I 


88 


DICK  AND 


I: 


k 


!! 


;'S  ADVENTURES 


the  shipwrecks  and  loss  of  life  so  frequent  in  the  vicinity,  they  were 
thankful  they  had  come  on  shore  with  their  lives,  and  made  up  their 
minds  to  wait  in  patience  for  the  day  of  deliverance. 

Seeing  that  the  boys  were  showing  sings  of  fatigue,  Jumps  took 
them  up  into  the  long  loft  of  the  station,  where  the  cots  were,  and 
insisted  that  they  should  undress  and  go  to  bed. 

"  You  vas  needs  sleep  pefore  der  captin  und  dose  men  vas  here," 
he  said,  "  ven  she  comes,  dey  von't  perlieve  it  yoost  like  Meester 
Prown,  und  den  she  vill  hafe  to  tell  dem  so  vonce  more." 

And  while  his  big  voice  and  broken-worded  kindness  was  droning 
in  their  ears,  they  fell  into  a  deep  sleep. 


;^ 


re 


■'   PI 


A  V~\\— l.Ji-1'  /-  f  /• 


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DIAMONDS    IN  THE    ROUGH 


HEN  Jack  opened  his  eyes 
he  was  so  drowsy  he  was 
strongly  disposed  to  shut  them 
again,  but  several  things  ar- 
rested his  attention,  so  that  he 
became  widely  awake.  It  was 
neither  daylight  nor  dark,  and 
rising  to  his  elbows  he  saw 
that  nearly  all  the  beds  were 
occupied  by  men  apparently 
soundly  asleep.  This  struck 
him  as  strange,  but  he  ex- 
plained it  to  himself  by  saying 
the  men  were  in  the  habit  of 
going  to  bed  at  sundown.  The 
profile  of  a  nose  on  the  bed 
next  to  him.  was  thrown  in 
such  bold  relief  against  the 
lights  of  the  window  in  the  far 
end  of  the  room  that  Jack 
recognized  it  as  belonging  to  the  giant.     As  with  his  returning  con- 

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DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I 


sciousness  he  felt  a  renewed  sense  of  hunger,  what  was  more  natural 
than  that  the  giant's  near  presence  should  suggest  the  possibility  of 
getting  something  to  eat. 

"  Dick,"  he  said,  In  a  loud  whisper  to  his  brother. 

"I'm  not  asleep."  Dick  responded,  with  a  quickness  that  justified 
the  suspicion  that  he  had  been  awake  a  long  time  ,  *  I'm  trying  to 
make  out  where  we  are  and  what  Is  the  time  of  day." 

"  Why.  don't  you  see  It's  almost  night  !'*  exclaimed  Jack,  in  a  dis- 
consolate whisper.  "  Plague  take  It !  we've  lost  both  our  dinner  and 
supper  by  snoozing  here  like  mud-turtles  on  a  log.  Can't  you  see 
that  everybody  has  gone  to  bed.  I'm  starving  again.  Jumps  Is  in 
the  bed  next  to  us.  Let's  ask  him  to  get  up  and  give  us  a  bite  of 
something— he's  so  good-natured,  you  know." 

"  Who  vas  dot  says  Jumps  und  dose  wittles,"  said  the  giant,  an- 
swering for  himself,  and  lifting  himself  to  a  sitting  posture,  he  having 
been  aroused  by  the  whispering  In  time  to  hear  Jack's  closing  words 
about  himself. 

•'  It's  Jack,"  Dick  replied.  ••  He's  hungry  again,  and  so  am  I,  if 
you  don't  mind  my  saying  so." 

••  Hongry!  Veil,  dot  pe  no  vonder,  ven  she  sleeps  mit  der  whole 
tay  und  have  no  vake  till  anudder  tay.  It's  morning,  right  ervay, 
und  I  gets  me  up,  und  she  schall  come  town  to  prekfast  ven  her 
smells  dose  vlttles  und  dot  coffee  creepin'  up  dem  stairs." 

"  Morning,  Jumps?  Have  we  slept  all  day  and  through  the  whole 
night,  besides?"  Dick  asked.  In  astonishment. 

•'  Yas,  pooty  much  dot  vay,  und  she  veels  werry  goot,  don't  he  ?" 

"  Yes,  Jumps,  and  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  Jack,  taking  the 
words  out  of  Dick's  mouth  and  adding:  "  But  I  am  as  emoty  as' a 
pumpkin  that's  lost  Its  insides  in  a  Halloween  spree." 

"Vas  dot  so?"  And  the  giant  began  making  his  toilet  with  so 
much  haste  and  racket,  all  the  rest  of  the  men  arose  and  followed 
his  example.  Dick  and  Jack  were  scarcely  in  their  own  garments, 
when  they  found  themselves  surrounded  by  the  men,  who  poured 
upon  them  question  after  question  concerning  their  adventures  and 
landing. 


I'^i^iitfjt. 


LJ^-^g 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


91 


Is, 
id 
id 


They  were  a  rough  looking  body  of  men.  with  direct,  blunt  man- 
ners and  ways  of  talking,  and  had  voices  that  sounded  like  the  burr 
of  wind  blowing  through  the  shrouds  of  a  vessel.  The  desolateness 
of  their  surroundings  made  them  more  than  ordinarily  friendly  with 
one  another,  while  the  strictness  of  the  discipline  to  which  they  were 
subjected,  and  the  gravity  of  the  dangers  to  which  they  were  fre- 
quently exposed,  tended  to  foster  a  manliness  that  Inspired  both  re- 
spect and  confidence. 

The  captain's  name  was  Moline.  who,  while  he  shared  everything 
In  common  with  the  men,  and  was  upon  familiar  terms  with  them 
also,  never  relaxed  the  authority  that  kept  them  in  constant  training 
for  the  most  sudden  emergencies. 

At  the  first  lull  In  the  patter  of  questions.  Captain  Moline  Intro- 
duced himself  to  the  boys,  and  congratulated  them  on  their  safe  land- 
ing. He  said :  "  While  you  were  asleep  yesterday  afternoon,  my 
mate  and  I  wondered  so  much  about  you  that  we  went  over  to  the 
south  beach  to  see  where  you  landed,  and  though  the  surf  was  not 
as  high  as  It  was  yesterday  morning,  it  was  still  a  surf  we  shouldn't 
want  to  meddle  with  unless  necessity  compelled  us  to  do  it.  Your 
boat  was  badly  wrecked,  but  there  is  enough  of  her  left  to  show  she 
was  built  for  stiff  work.  When  Brown  and  Jumps  told  us  of  your 
halibut  fireplace,  we  could  scarcely  believe  them,  but  there  was  also 
enough  of  the  halibut  left  to  prove  that  a  fire  had  actually  been  built 
upon  its  back,  and  I  brought  home  one  of  the  lobster  claws,  which 
we  picked  up  on  the  beach,  to  prove  to  the  men  that  It  had  been 
roasted  as  well  as  If  it  had  been  cooked  on  land.  The  body  of  the 
lobster  measures  twenty-seven  inches  from  nose  to  tall.  I  have 
heard  of  the  big  Black  Point  lobsters,  but  never  supposed  they  were 
as  large  as  fair-sized  babies.  My  mate  brought  the  lobster  home  In 
front  of  him  on  the  pony,  and  has  nailed  it  up  on  the  boathouse  and 
labelled  It '  Bluenose  Mermaid.'  " 

"  Yes,"  the  mate  began,  ••  If  I  hadn't  brought  it  in  and  put  It  where 
it  could  be  measured  by  the  men  for  themselves,  our  story  would 
have  been  put  down  as  a  salt-water  yarn.    Without  its  claws  and 


^■fni*-- 


-teJqiw 


92 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


legs,  it  makes  a  very  good  mermaid,  and  is  about  as  near  as  we  shall 
ever  get  to  that  sort  of  maid." 

Dick  abruptly  changed  the  conversation  by  asking:  *•  How  did 
you  men  get  by  us  last  night  and  go  to  bed  without  waking  us?" 

"Oh,  that  was  easy  enough,  laughed  the  captain.  "  Brown  and 
Jumps  told  us  of  your  arrival,  and  what  you  had  passed  through,  and 
we  went  into  the  loft  in  our  stocking  feet,  took  a  peep  at  you  as  we 
passed  by  and  got  into  bed  without  saying  a  word,  for  we  knew  you 
needed  sleep." 

*'  You  are  gentlemen!"  Dick  exclaimed,  gratefully. 

"Gentlemen!"  repeated  the  youngest  man  in  the  crew,  with  a 
sarcastic  laugh.  "  We  look  like  gentlemen,  don't  we,  in  these  scare- 
crow rigs  of  ours.  It  takes  clothes  to  make  a  gentleman."  The 
speaker  looked  like  one  who  had  been  accustomed  to  different  sur- 
roundings, and  spoke  with  a  bitterness  that  indicated  that  he  was  not 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  his  fellow  lifemen, 

"  My  own  rig  isn't  anything  to  boast  of."  Dick  replied,  "  but  I 
have  always  been  taught  that  kindness  to  others  is  the  first  and 
chief  sign  of  a  gentleman.  You  certainly  were  very  kind  to  us  in 
trying  to  get  to  bed  without  disturbing  us ;  that  showed  that  you  are 
gentlemen." 

"And  another  sign  of  ?  gentleman  is  the  appreciation  of  the 
kindness  of  others,"  remarked  Captain  Moline,  "  and  you  have  not 
only  understood  our  feeling  toward  you,  but  you  have  praised  it  as 
well,  and  that  shows  that  you  are  a  gentleman." 

Boggs,  the  man  who  had  sneered  so  viciously,  said  nothing  more, 
yet  looked  so  sullen,  it  was  evident  that,  being  convinced  against  his 
will,  he  was  of  the  same  opinion  still. 

Jumps'  big  voice  suddenly  rolled  up  the  stairs,  saying:  "  Vas  you 
come  der  grub,  ven  I  vas  vatin'  vor  you  und  dem  poys  vot  is  so 
hongry?" 

Captain  Moline  motioned  the  boys  to  precede  him  down  the  stair- 
way, and  then  followed  with  his  men. 

The  giant's  table  was  his  kingdom,  and.  although  it  was  entirely 
destitute  of  napery,  it  was  as  clean  and  white  as  fresh  linen,  the  pine 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


93 


I  you 
so 

ta.r- 

frely 
)ine 


plank  of  which  it  was  made  being  scrupulously  scoured  with  sand 
every  day.  His  dishes  and  his  other  tableware  were  his  subjects, 
which  he  assigned  to  their  places  with  all  the  precision  of  a  military 
martinet.  He  put  his  conscience  into  every  bit  of  food  he  cooked, 
and  served  it  up  with  the  promptness  and  impartiality  that  sprung 
from  perpetual  fidelity  to  his  humblest  duties.  In  all  this,  he  had 
the  hearty  approval  of  the  captain,  who  maintained  that  neglect  in 
the  smaller  things  of  life  will,  in  the  end,  lead  to  the  confusion  of 
those  greater  things  upon  which  life  itself  depends. 

Dick  and  Jack  were  reminded  of  their  mother's  table,  and  won- 
dered how  a  great  strapping  man  like  Jumps  had  acquired  so  much 
womanly  wisdom  and  skill.  But  what  most  excited  their  curiosity, 
was  the  profusion  of  fine  silver  and  chinaware  displayed  upon  the 
table,  and  the  abundance  of  handsome  pieces  of  furniture  scattered 
about  the  large  dining  and  sitting  room. 

Their  surprise  was  so  plainly  visible,  from  the  way  in  which  they 
allowed  their  eyes  to  wander  around,  that  Captain  Moline  said: 
"  All  this  fine  stuff  that  you  see  here  came  from  wrecks — from 
cabins  abandoned  to  their  fate  by  their  original  masters,  and  we  use 
it  because  there  is  nobody  else  to  use  it.  You  see  we  have  a  full 
supply  of  silver  spoons  even,  and  of  these  Jumps  is  especially  proud." 

"  Yas,  dot  vas  so,"  Jumps  smilingly  assented.  -  Dem  spoons  vas 
vash3d  und  shined  so  easy,  I  don't  want  no  pewter;  und  it  vas  dot 
same  vay  mit  some  beoples — pewter  beoples  don't  keeps  so  vite  und 
shiny  as  dem  vot  vas  silver — und  she  scours  und  scours  dem  to 
make  dem  shine,  und  pooty  soon  dot  pewter  spoon  don't  hafe  noddin 
iett  to  shine." 

Boggs  had  but  recently  been  reprimanded  in  the  mess  for  shirking 
duty,  and.  like  all  persons  who  will  neither  correct  their  faults  nor 
take  the  blame  that  belongs  to  their  neglect,  he  was  sensitively  sus- 
picious of  both  the  words  and  the  deeds  of  those  who  did  the  best 
they  could.  He  thought  that  the  giant  was  aiming  something  a» 
him,  and  he  angrily  said:  "jumps,  you're  nothing  but  pewter 
smeared  with  quicksilver." 

"  Vas  dot  so  ?    Veil,  I  vas  so  pig.  I  don't  vears  out  so  qvick  as  you, 


mmimmm 


mm 


94 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


don't  she?"  Jumps  never  hunted  for  nettles,  but  when  it  was 
necessary  to  take  hold  of  them,  he  took  a  strong  hold  and  pulled 
them  up  by  the  roots,  and  in  this  instance  turned  •  the  laugh  so 
strongly  against  Boggs,  that  the  man  ate  the  rest  of  his  breakfast  in 
sullen  silence. 

After  breakfast,  the  captain  invited  the  boys  out  to  see  his  stud  of 
horses.  Calling  Bingo  to  him,  he  said:  "Fetch  them  along, 
Bingo,"  and  the  great  Bernarder  trotted  off  with  as  much  dignity  as 
if  he  had  received  a  royal  commission,  and  in  a  few  moments  re- 
turned from  the  near  sand-hills  driving  before  him  ten  of  the  funni- 
est beasts  Dick  and  Jack  had  ever  seen. 

This  was  the  captain's  stud  of  horses — trained  specimens  of  the 
celebrated  Sable  Island  ponies.  Their  heads  were  almost  as  big  as 
their  haunches,  while  their  bodies  were  so  short  it  seemed  as  if  they 
had  only  been  put  in  between  the  heads  and  haunches  for  the  sake 
of  keeping  them  together.  The  manes  and  tails  were  so  long  they 
could  serve  equally  well  for  fly-nets  in  summer  or  horse-blankets  in 
winter.  Some  of  the  ponies  were  jet  black,  and  others  a  dingy 
brown;  some  were  black  and  white,  and  others  a  mixture  of  many 
colors,  like  Joseph's  coat.  All  had  large,  fiery  eyes  of  changing  hues 
and  many  expressions.  In  size  the  ponies  were  but  little  larger  than 
Bingo  himself.  Upon  the  whole,  they  suggested  Impishness  as  a 
good  word  to  sum  them  up. 

Dick  and  Jack  were  as  much  amused  as  they  were  astonished  at 
their  appearance,  and  Jack  said  to  Dick,  aside  :  '*  Why  just  think 
of  one  of  those  little  brutes  standing  by  the  side  of  our  Black  Prince  ! 
A  switch  of  Prince's  tall  would  almost  knock  one  of  them  over. 
What  on  earth  can  they  be  good  for?" 

*'  If  we  wait  long  enough  we  shall  probably  find  out."  replied  Dick, 
cautiously.  •*  Quality  doesn't  always  depend  upon  size,  and  what 
those  little  chaps  lack  in  size  they  may  make  up  in  quality.  Depend 
upon  it  they  are  not  here  for  nothing." 

Presently  the  ponies,  not  seeing  or  knowing  enough  of  boys  to  be 
afraid  of  them,  yet  recognizing  them  as  strangers,  crowded  up  to 
Dick  and  Jack,  and  after  all  had  sniffed  the  air  about  them,  several 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


95 


at 
link 


ice 


kver. 

)ick. 
/hat 
3end 

|o  be 

\p  to 
/eral 


snorted  at  them  with  a  well  defined  contempt,  while  one  or  two  nosed 
them  inquisitively,  and  seeming  to  receive  a  favorable  impression, 
just  as  distinctly  made  offers  of  friendship  by  resting  their  big  heads 
against  the  boys'  sides. 

Meanwhile,  the  men  were  preparing  to  mount,  and  after  a  little 
each  pony  had  a  rider  whose  legs,  whether  they  were  long  or  short, 
almost  reached  the  ground.  When  the  captain  had  mounted  on  a 
little  black  stallion,  he  said :  "  Well  boys,  what  do  you  think  of  our 
stud  of  horses?" 

"  Why,  they  seem  to  be  as  tame  as  kittens,  but  I  can't  understand 
how  they  are  able  to  hold  you  fellows  on  their  backs,"  Jack  replied, 
laughing  at  the  ridiculous  figure  cut  by  both  men  and  ponies. 

••  They  stand  up  under  you  as  if  they  were  made  of  cast  Iron." 
Dick  said,  more  discerningly  and  cautiously. 

"  Yes,  they  are  very  tough,  and  they  are  as  cute  as  they  are  tough 
We  do  most  all  of  our  patrol  work  with  them,  and  often  go  more  than 
fifty  miles  a  day  on  their  backs.  And  when  we  get  caught  among 
the  dunes  in  a  fog  or  a  blinding  snowstorm,  we  trust  to  their  senses 
more  than  we  do  to  our  own.  There  are  more  than  five  hundred  'f 
them  upon  the  island  ;  but,  of  course,  only  a  few  of  them  are  trained 
like  these.  When  we  need  fresh  ones  we  go  on  a  hunt  for  them, 
and  they  generally  give  us  a  picnic  before  we  get  them  broken  In. 
After  they  are  once  broken,  however,  they  are  as  faithful  as  does. 
Would  you  like  to  have  a  pair  broken  in  for  your  own  use  ?  you  are 
to  be  here  some  time,  you  know.  If  you  think  that  you  could  man- 
age them,  we'll  get  them  for  you." 

••  My  cracky!"  jack  exclaimed,  with  delight. 

"  By  the  way  yours  are  acting  now  I  shouldn't  think  it  would  be 
very  hard  to  manage  them."  Dick  said;  "  and  if  we  should  happen 
to  fall  from  their  backs,  the  distance  to  the  sand  is  so  short,  and  the 
sand  itself  is  such  a  cushion,  there  would  be  small  danger  of  our  get- 
ting hurt,  I  guess." 

•'  But  you'll  find  that  these  ponies  are  like  guns  that  must  be 
safely  pointed  before  they  are  allowed  to  go  off,"  Captain  Moline 
said,    somewhat    grimly.     "  However,  we'll   get   a  pair  for  you, 


96 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


and  you  can  form  your  opinions  of  tiiem  after  you  have  made  their 
acquaintance." 

Then  turning  to  his  men,  he  continued :  "  The  day  is  so  fine 
there'll  be  no  need  of  patrolling  the  beach  this  afternoon,  and 
we'll  take  a  half -day  off  and  go  on  a  horse-hunt  and  see  what  we  can 
get  for  the  lads," 

The  men  gave  a  cheer,  and  by  some  signal  not  observed  by  the 
boys,  started  their  ponies,  which  galloped  away  with  a  speed  that  soon 
carried  the  riders  out  of  sight. 

The  captain  remained  behind  to  tell  the  boys  about  the  general 
hunts  and  round-ups  they  had  when  the  government  tender  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  Island,  and  about  their  shipping  from  ten  to  twenty 
for  the  market  at  Halifax,  whence  they  were  widely  distributed  to 
different  parts  of  the  world  as  pets  and  curiosities.  He  also  told 
them  that  the  original  breed  was  put  upon  the  island  over  a  hundred 
years  before  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  meat  for  those  who  were 
shipwrecked,  and  that  the  ponies  lived  upon  the  tough  beach  grass, 
which  abounded  among  the  valleys  and  slopes  of  the  dunes. 

But  what  most  delighted  the  boys,  was  an  Invitation  to  join  in  the 
hunt  In  the  afternoon.  "  Dick  can  have  Molly,  the  pony  I  am  on," 
said  the  captain.  "  and  I'll  take  a  frisky  colt  I  am  breaking  In,  while 
Jack  can  have  Luther,  the  one  that  belongs  to  Jumps." 

"My  goodness,  captain!"  Dick  exclaimed,  " you  don't  mean  to 
say  that  the  giant  rides  one  of  those  little  things !  It  would  seem 
far  more  natural  for  a  pony  to  sit  astride  his  shoulders  than  for  him 
to  get  astride  a  pony." 

"  Yes,"  laughed  the  captain,  "  Jumps  can  ride  with  the  best  of  us, 
and  Is  the  best  horse-tamer  on  the  island.  Luther  Is  a  strong  stal- 
lion, and  he  and  his  master  are  on  the  best  of  terms." 

The  ponies  of  Sable  Fsland  do  not  all  herd  together,  but  go  In 
groups  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  under  the  leadership  of  some  stallion 
who  has  proved  himself  able  to  head  the  herd  by  subduing  some 
other  rival  for  that  honor,  and  he  keeps  his  place  until  disabled,  or 
displaced  by  some  stronger  competitor.  It  Is  with  these  ponies  as  it 
is  with  politicians. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


97 


m  to 

seem 

him 

)f  us, 
stal- 

jo  in 
lallion 
Isome 

id.  or 
as  it 


When  Dick  and  Jack  mounted  for  the  hunt.  Molly  and  Luther 
tested  their  mettle  at  the  outset  by  cutting  antics  that  landed  the 
boys  in  the  sand  once  or  twice  without  ceremony. 

"  Yo,  ho,  ho !"  the  giant  laughed,  while  his  great  abdomen  heaved 
like  the  billows  of  a  small  earthquake.  "  Yo,  ho.  ho !  You  vas 
hafe  to  put  some  sand  mit  dos  ponies'  packs,  und  she  don't  have  to 
slip  off  no  more.  Hug  mit  dose  legs  und  holt  mit  her  hands,  und 
den  she  vas  sticks  like  shoemaker's  vax.  vile  she  don't  stkikes,  und 
speaks  like  she  vas  the  mudder  to  dem  vellers." 

The  boys  took  the  giant's  hints,  though,  when  the  cavalcade 
started  off  on  a  tearing  gallop  among  the  dunes,  they  discov- 
ered that  they  stood  in  need  of  some  tactics  that  were  not 
mentioned  by  Jumps.  If  the  ponies  saw  a  bunch  of  beich 
grass  that  appeared  to  be  more  than  ordinarily  inviting,  they 
stopped  in  the  very  midst  of  their  headway,  and  landed  the 
boys  overhead  upon  the  sand  with  as  little  concern  as  if  they 
were  shaking  a  fly  from  their  tough  hides.  But  as  soon  as  the  boys 
began  to  be  alert  to  this  little  trick,  the  ponies  seemed  to  under- 
stand that  there  was  an  end  to  fooling,  and  that  henceforth  they 
were  to  attend  to  business.   ,. 

When  the  lifemen  seek  for  singles  or  pairs,  they  attack  the  first 
herd  they  sight,  and  out  out  or  separate  such  as  take  their  fancy 
most.  The  hunters  had  not  been  out  more  than  half  an  hour,  when 
they  came  upon  a  herd  of  seventeen  ponies.  When  the  leader  of 
the  herd  discovered  the  hunters,  he  faced  them  for  an  instant,  then, 
challenging  them  with  a  defiant  snort,  started  off.  followed  by  a  fly- 
ing tangle  of  heads,  manes  and  tails,  that  wound  in  and*  out  among 
the  dunes  ' )  such  a  confusing  way.  it  was  difficult  to  keep  them  in 
sight.  Presently,  five  of  them  were  separated  from  the  herd,  and 
the  captain  said  to  his  men : 

"  Cut  out  the  two  black  mares ;  they  are  the  ones  we  want." 

Now.  came  the  most  exciting  part  of  the  operation,  for  the  two, 
on  being  separated  from  their  companions,  made  attempts  to  get 
back  to  the  herd,  and  galloped  about  with  a  speed  that  was  hardly  to 
be  expected  of  such  ungainly  looking  creatures. 


A 


98 


DICK  AND  JACKS  ADVENTURES 


Molly  and  Luther,  entering  into  the  fun  of  the  chase,  pursued  the 
flying  ponies  on  their  own  account,  and  were  as  indifferent  to  their 
riders  as  if  they  were  a  thousand  miles  away  ;  but  as  Dick  and  Jack 
were  now  thoroughly  aroused  to  the  sport,  and  able  to  keep  securely 
in  their  seats,  the  speed  of  the  ponies  but  Increased  the  pleasure  of 
their  riders. 

Finally,  the  lifemen  got  into  a  circle  around  the  two  fugitives,  and 
the  race  was  at  an  end.  But  when  it  came  to  haltering  and  nozzling 
the  captives,  the  ponies  bit  and  kicked  with  such  ferocity  that  Dick 
and  Jack  were  content  with  that  part  of  the  enchantment  that  is  lent 
by  a  prudent  distance  of  view. 

When  the  ponies  were  taken  to  the  station,  they  were  securely 
fastened  in  the  boathouse,  and  the  men  gathered  and  discussed  the 
good  points  of  the  captives.  The  ponies  were  black  young  mares, 
full  grown,  perfectly  sound  and  possessed  of  manes  and  tails  that 
filled  the  boys  with  delight.  One  of  them  had  a  white  fore-foot, 
which  the  captain  said  should  be  Jack's  sigh  of  ownership. 

"  And  I'll  call  her  Topsy,"  said  Jack. 

*'  Then  mine  shall  be  Turvy,  for  it  has  been  a  topsy-turvy  of  a  race 
to  get  them,"  Dick  promptly  responded. 

*'  Capital !"  exclaimed  the  captain,  approvingly.  "  And  Jumps  will 
give  you  all  the  aid  and  instruction  you  may  need  to  break  and  tame 
them.  You  must  look  out  for  their  teeth  and  heels,  however,  for 
these  wild  ponies  are  active  at  both  ends." 

Jumps  was  possessed  of  such  a  stock  of  kindness  and  pati- 
ence, and  was  so  well  acquainted  with  pony  nature,  and  the  boys 
watched  his  tactics  so  closely,  and  imitated  them  so  faithfully, 
that  the  captives  became  almost  as  fond  of  'the  three  as 
Bingo  was. 

Jumps'  constant  advice  was :  "  You  vas  not  hurt  der  veellnks  mit 
dose  ponies,  und  den  dey  don't  hurt  yours,  vor  she  vas  knows  vat  is 
vat  as  veil  as  us  do." 

But  the  first  time  the  boys  attempted  to  mount  Topsy  and  Turvy, 
they  had  serious  doubts  as  to  the  entire  correctness  of  Jumps' 
lessons.     It   seemed,  as  it  often   does   in   life,  as  if   it  were  an 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


99 


n- 
lys 

|y. 

las 

lit 
is 


I  an 


impossible  thing  to  yolce  precept  and  practice  into  a  woricing  team. 

Wiien  Jaclc  mounted  Topsy  siie  pitched  him  over  her  head 
into  the  sand,  and  while  he  plucklly  held  on  to  the  halter,  she 
stood  over  him  with  her  ior^jieei  flying  fn  the  air  like  the  arms 
of  a  pugilist,  and  danced  up  and  down  like  an  uncultivated 
savage.  • 

Jumps  took  hold  of  her  halter,  and  pulled  her  down  by  main  force, 
saying:  "  Her  don't  do  noddins  like  dot  no  more.  You  vas  get  on 
her  pooty  qvick  now.  Jack,  und  I  vill  say  some  Dutch  Bible  in  dose 
ears,  und  she  vill  mind  me  right  ervay." 

Jack  mounted  as  he  was  directed.  Jumps  holding  the  pony  down 
with  one  hand,  and  stroking  her  gently  with  the  other,  while  he  whis- 
pered some  unknown  gibberish  in  her  right  ear.  The  effect  was  as 
immediate  as  it  was  surprising,  for  when  Jumps  gave  her  her  head, 
and  said:  *'  Now  her  vas  von  nice  leetle  girl."  she  started  off  as 
demurely  as  if  she  were /a  well-seasoned  old  maid,  and  thenceforth 
gave  Jack  no  trouble. 

Meanwhile,  Dick  had  mounted  Turvy.  who,  as  though  fond  memory 
had  brought  the  light  of  other  days  around  her,  started  for  the  sand- 
hills with  the  speed  of  a  deer.  Dick  stuck  to  her  like  a  patent  sticking 
plaster,  but  let  her  go  as  she  would.  For  a  while  it  seemed  as  if  she 
had  heard  all  about  Alexander  the  Great  and  his  conquest  of  the  fiery 
Bucephalus,  and  as  if  she  meant  that  no  Sable  Island  Alexander 
should  conquer  her.  because  she  intended  to  make  a  conspicuous 
example  of  the  success  of  woman's  rights.  But  alas !  Dick  soon 
returned  with  her.  and  she  was  so  gentle  and  docile  that  Bingo  walked 
by  her  side  and  showed  his  approval  of  the  conquest  by  wagging  his 
great  tail  after  his  most  swinging  manner. 

"  Yo,  ho,  ho!"  laughed  Jumps,  vociferously;  "she  vas  know  her 
boss  now,  und  her  boss  vas  know  him,  too.  Dot  vas  goot,  mein 
poys.  You  makes  no  svear  mit  dose  moudhs.  nor  mit  dose  foots 
und  hands.  Dot  vas  der  vay  she  vill  make  dem  ponies  goot  all  dese 
times." 

Jumps  hated  profanity  as  much  as  he  did  the  peppery  disposition 
of  which  profanity  is  the  cowardly  and  brutal  expression.     Besides 


I 


100 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


he  was  a  great  friend  of  animals,  and  never  liked  to  see  them  abused. 
"  If  I  vas  her,  und  she  vas  me,  I'd  vant  him  to  pe  goot  to  me,"  he 
would  say.  ••  She  vas  dose  und  I  vas  her,  und  I  vas  do  unto  dose  as 
I  vas  hafe  dose  do  unto  him." 

The  boys  knew  his  meaning  well  enough  to  understand  the  exalted 
origin  of  his  sentiments,  and  they  thought  too  much  ot  both  the 
speaker  and  his  sentiment  to  laugh  at  his  blunders,  even. 

Jack  formed  such  an  attachment  for  Topsy  that  he  said  to  Dick 
one  di.  "  The  Yankee  Doodle  who  rode  to  town  on  a  pony 
wouldn't  have  called  it  Macaroni  if  it  had  been  like  Topsy." 


;. 


;■ 


i  .' 


sea 
ent 


1 


THE 
GREAT  UNDERCURRENT 

OTWITHSTANDING 
all  that  was  done  by 
Captain  Moline  and  the 
giant,  and  the  men  in 
general,  to  keep  Dick 
and  Jack  employed 
and  amused,  there  was 
such  a  strong  under- 
current running  in  the 
boys'  minds  they  were 
in  danger  of  being  car- 
ried away  by  it.  They 
became  so  homesick 
and  restless  that  they 
slighted  their  food, 
avoided  diversions  and 
moaned  in  their  sleep 
at  night. 

Now,  look  here, 
boys,"  Captain  Moline 
said  to  them  one  morn- 

-  ■"'  Ing  after    they   had 

scarcely  touched  a  mouthful  of  breakfast — the  men  not  being  pres- 
ent— "  this  will  never  do.     I  know  that  people  seldom  realize  what 

101 


I 


.  L  ^    ,." 


102 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


home  is  until  they  are  separated  from  it.  and  I  know  that  home  is 
the  best  place  outside  of  heaven.  I've  got  a  wife  and  three  children 
on  the  mainland.  I  couldn't  bear  to  think  of  bringing  them  here  to 
live,  yet  I've  got  to  send  for  them,  for  there  are  times  when  I  get  so 
homesick  I  become  almost  distracted,  and  then  everything  goes 
wrong  with  me  and  my  work.  It  is  a  dreadful  feeling.  Why,  two 
years  a  we  had  a  poor  fellow  here — a  little  older  than  Dick — who  got 
so  homesick  that  in  spite  of  everything  we  could  do  to  keep  him  up,  he 
just  pined  away  and  died.  We  had  saved  him  from  a  wreck,  but  we 
couldn't  save  him  from  homesickness.  He  almost  broke  our  hearts, 
when,  with  his  very  last  breath,  he  begged  us  to  carry  him  to  his 
mother.  It  had  such  an  effect  upon  the  men  that  it  almost  dis- 
organized my  crew;  they  vowed  they'd  leave  the  island  if  they  had 
to  steal  the  lifeboats  to  enable  them  to  do  it.-  It  was  a  long  time 
before  I  could  get  them  out  of  the  fit.  Coaxing  did  no  good,  and 
they  cared  no  more  for  reasoning  than  they  did  for  the  wind ;  then  I 
went  at  them  with  hammer  and  tongs,  and  shamed  and  threatened 
them,  though  I  felt  as  badly  as  they. 

"  Homesickness  is  more  catching  than  the  measles,  and.  In  some 
respects,  is  worse  than  the  smallpox.  Your  homesickness  is  already 
beginning  to  affect  my  men.  Why,  there  is  that  great  giant  of  a 
Jumps,  who  sympathizes  with  you  so  much,  that  he  watches  you  as 
a  cow  watches  her  calf,  and  now  that  you  are  moping,  he  hardly 
smiles.  His  cheerfulness  is  one  of  the  mainstays  of  our  crew,  and 
we  can't  afford  to  have  him  going  about  like  a  crow  that  has  had  its 
wings  clipped." 

"  Well,  captain,  I  believe  that  you  are  right,"  said  Dick,  "  but  we 
cah't  help  thinking  of  home,  and  the  trouble  they  are  in  there  on 
our  account." 

"  I  know  you  can't,  nor  do  I  want  you  to  forget.  What  I  want  is 
that  you  should  keep  your  legs  under  you,  so  that  you  can  get  home 
in  good  shape.  You  want  to  go  home  well  and  hearty,  and  then 
the  joy  of  your  return  will  almost  pay  for  the  sufferings  of  your 
absence." 


^1' '  .1... 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


103 


'  What  would  you  have  us  do  to  carry  out  your  wishes?"  asked 
Jack.  "  I'm  willing  to  do  anything  you  say,  for  as  I  am  now,  I  feel 
as  if  all  the  spring  had  been  taken  out  of  me,  and  I  had  been  turned 
into  lead." 

"  Do  ?  Why,  just  knock  about  like  a  pair  of  live  boys.  Bury 
your  black  clothes  in  the  sand  for  good.  My  men  thInK  the  world 
of  you,  and  if  they  see  you  cutting  around  like  your  natural  selves, 
they'll  feel  like  doing  the  same, for  even  old  sheep  will  imitate  young 
lambs.  So  long  as  you  kept  yourselves  In  skipping  trim,  I  felt  like 
skipping  myself,  and  all  the  more  so  because  youngsters  are  so  scarce 
here,  and  when  you  began  to  act  like  lambs  caught  in  a  snowstorm  it 
made  me  feel  chilly  all  over." 

Dick  had  gotten  so  much  light  from  the  captain's  way  of  putting 
the  case,  that  he  began  to  feel  like  a  kitten  that  has  found  a  sunny 
spot  In  a  dark  room.  He  was  actually  smiling  again,  when  he  said  : 
"  Well,  captain.  If  you  catch  us  playing  chilled  lambs  again,  you  may 
put  us  Into  the  black  hole,"  referring  to  a  little  plank  prison  that  was 
used  as  a  sort  of  penalty  house  for  shipwrecked  sailors  who  became 
too  unruly  or  mutinous. 

The  giant,  who  had  remained  in  the  room  to  clear  It  up  for  the 
day,  cocked  his  ea''3  for  everything  that  was  said.  At  first  his  face 
wore  a  cloud  of  discontent,  and  he  looked  like  aGoliathof  a  boy  puck- 
ering his  mouth  for  a  big  cry,  but  as  the  conversation  went  on,  he 
looked  like  an  overgrown  man  again,  and  when  the  boys  declared 
that  they  would  perform  the  miracle  of  casting  out  their  own  low 
spirits.  Jumps  swung  his  dishcloth  over  his  head,  and  joy  was  shining 
through  his  milky-blue  eyes. 

"  Dot  plack  hole  vas  gets  no  poys  for  gompany,  you  petter  pe- 
lieve  I"  he  exclaimed,  ••  und  dem  wittles  vas  jumps  ven  dem  moudhs 
let  her  in  vonce  more,  und  she  vas  say,  *  Ach !  put  dot  ish  goot !" 

But  while  Dick  and  Jack  were  fighting  and  winning  their  battles  on 
desolate  Sable  Island,  their  father  and  mother  were  passing  through 
far  worse  conflicts  at  Black  Point. 

When  the  fog  came  duvn,  the  day  the  boys  went  on  their  last 
halibut  trip.  M.'.  Melville,  at  dinner  time,  went  to  the  cove  to  blow 


104 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


the  conch,  thinking  that  the  far-reaching  sound  would  help  his  sons 
to  get  their  bearings  for  the  mouth  of  the  little  inlet.  His  first 
shock  was  experienced  when  he  found  the  compass,  which  the  boys 
had  forgotten  to  take  with  them,  standing  by  the  shell  upon  the  fish- 
house  shelf,  but  when  the  rainy  night  came  on  and  the  boys  did  not 
return,  there  was  agony  in  the  household. 

On  the  following  morning,  Wallace,  mounted  on  Black  Prince, 
hastened  to  the  nearest  settlements,  and  spread  the  tidings.  In  an 
incredibly  short  time,  the  news  spread  up  and  down  the  whole  coast, 
and  all  the  papers  far  and  near  added  to  the  constantly  increasing 
publicity  of  the  event.  Every  outgoing  vessel  was  on  the  alert  for 
some  clew  to  the  fate  of  the  missing  brothers. 

So  great  was  the  change  made  in  Mrs.  Melville's  appearance  in  a 
few  weeks,  that  one  would  hardly  have  recognized  her  as  the  woman 
who  stood  at  the  corner  of  the  brown  cottage  and  waved  her  ker- 
chief to  the  boys  rowing  out  to  sea  in  the  clear  sunlight  on  the  morn- 
-ing  of  the  disappearance.  Nor  was  Mr.  Melville  the  same  man. 
Even  the  children  moved  less  alertly,  and  little  Mary — one  of  God's 
prematurely  thoughtful  mites — voiced  the  general  woe  In  childhood's 
broken  sentences. 

The  mail  that  Wallace  brought  from  Port  Mouton  was  now  quite 
large,  and  most  of  the  letters  showed  how  widely  people  had  become 
interested  in  the  fate  of  the  boys,  and  in  the  anxieties  of  the  Mel- 
viUes. 

Among  the  first  letters,  however,  was  one  from  old  Mr.  Gray — 
the  man  whom  the  boys  had  called  Old  Gray  Blanket,  and  the  one 
who  was  making  such  a  hobby  of  the  near  approach  of  the  end  of  the 
world.  Had  it  not  been  so  supremely  silly,  the  letter  would  have 
been  decidedly  irritating.  The  prophet  of  the  end  of  all  things  wrote 
that  he  had  done  his  best  to  convert  Mr.  Melville  and  his  boys  to 
his  way  of  thinking,  but  unsuccessfully.  And  he  had  warned  him 
and  the  boys  that  the  judgment  of  God  would  be  visited  upon  them 
when  they  least  expected  it.  He  hoped  that  Mr.  Melville,  while  under 
the  hand  of  God,  would,  with  his  wife,  join  the  people  to  whom  he  be- 
longed, and  thus  avert  further  and  worse  visitations. 


^-\ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


105 


The  harpy  ?  He  was  so  hopelessly  spiteful,  he  Invaded  even  the 
sanctities  of  a  great  sorrow  with  the  spiteful  specter  he  misnamed 
God.  and  had  not  sense  enough  to  see  that  the  picture  he  drew  of 
the  Supreme  Being  was  only  a  faithful  picture  of  himself,  and  that 
the  warnings  he  gave  were  only  the  wishes  he  Indulged. 

There  were  several  other  letters,  that  might  have  been  written  by 
Job's  comforters,  but  they  were  not  so  flagrant  as  Old  Gray 
Blanket's.  Keeping  the  knowledge  of  all  such  letters  from  his  wife. 
Mr.  Melville  disposed  of  them  by  throwing  them  where  they  be- 
longed- into  the  fire. 

There  were  two  letters  that  were  prized  above  measure,  though 
written  by  very  different  persons. 

One  came  from  a  fisherman,  who.  In  a  painfully  cramped  script, 
composed  of  mutilated  words  arrayed  In  ghastly  lines  of  staggering 
grammar,  wrote  as  follows : 

Wen  i  wns  ynng,  i  lawst  miself  ter  se  an  didunt  git  find  agin  til  i  vnia 
awlmost  ded  an  now  im  aty-sics  yers  ol  wioh  yor  boys  ma  be  got  agin  an 
liv  to  be  ther  sam  so  tak  a  hoi  on  god  an  nuvur  let  gow  yor  feller  sufferer 
an  pilgrum  strangur 

Jo  Jaokson. 


The  other  letter  was  from  a  Boston  lady.  who.  having  seen  a  para- 
graph about  the  missing  boys  in  a  Boston  paper,  wrote  that  her  elder 
brother,  when  only  six  years  old,  floated  out  of  Provlncetown  harbor 
in  a  small  dory,  was  picked  up  by  an  outgoing  Nantucket  whaler, 
and,  after  going  the  whole  three  years'  voyage  with  the  crew,  was 
returned  in  safety  to  the  family. 

"  Mother,"  said  Mr.  Melville,  after  receiving  the  second  letter, 
"  the  old  fisherman  and  the  Boston  lady  are  alike  In  this,  they  have 
both  dipped  their  pens  Into  the  heart  of  the  Father  of  us  all,  and 
from  the  fulness  of  that  fountain  have  sent  their  messages  to  us, 
I  am  not  a  superstitious  man,  as  you  well  know,  but  I  have  noticed. 
In  the  course  of  my  life,  that  some  things  take  on  the  character  of 
signs  that  certain  things  are  to  come  to  pass.  When  two  persons, 
so  widely  removed  from  each  other,  and  so  different  In  education. 


^^^^■ISWPWi 


m  ■ 


I 
I 
i 


106 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


are  impelled  to  write  to  us,  as  the  fisherman  and  the  Boston  lady 
have  done,  I'm  inclined  to  think  that  the  impulse  comes  from  a  di- 
vine as  well  as  a  human  source.  Besides,  there  is  scarcelv  a  night 
that  I  do  not  dream  of  the  boys*  return.  Things  on  earth  are  some- 
times reflected  in  the  sky  in  such  a  way  that  they  are  seen  a  great 
distance.  Our  boys  may  be  safe  and  sound,  and  it  may  be  that  the 
fact  is  being  reflected  to  us  as  distinctly  as  is  possible  under  the  cir- 
cumstances." 

During  the  first  part  of  the  long  winter  that  followed,  Mr.  Mel- 
ville did  a  great  deal  of  preaching  among  the  neighboring 
fishing  settlements,  and  it  was  while  on  one  of  these  tours 
that  he  received  another  "sign" — as  he  called  it.  One  Sun- 
day, after  having  travelled  twenty  miles  and  preached  four  ser- 
mons, he  was  invited  to  stay  the  night  at  the  house  of  a  comfortably- 
to-do  fisherman. 

When  Mr.  Melville  was  seated  by  the  side  of  the  blazing  hearth, 
Mr.  Blewitt,  the  host,  after  stabling  Black  Prince,  came  in,  and,  as 
soon  as  he  was  seated,  abruptly  said : 

•'  Now,  elder,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  all  about  those  miss- 
ing boys." 

"What  can  I  tell  you,"  said  Mr.  Melville,  wearily,  "I  thought 
that  by  this  time  everybody  along  the  coast  knew  as  much  about  the 
circumstances  as  I  did." 

"  What  kind  of  a  boat  did  they  have  ?  Could  the  boys  handle  a 
boat  at  sea?  Did  they  have  anything  to  eat?  What  was  the 
weather  when  they  started  and  after  they  were  missed  ?  Now. 
there  is  a  string  of  questions  for  you.  But  I'm  an  old  tar,  sir, 
what  knows  a  thing  or  two  about  this  coast  and  that  old  sea; 
and  what's  more,  I  have  a  special  reason  for  being  so  pushing  about 
this  thing." 

Quickeneti  by  the  man's  manner,  Mr.  Melville  gave  him  all  the 
details  in  his  possession. 

"Ah,  I  see!  There's  a  beginning  to  everything,  even  to  the 
Bible,  and  to  creation  itself,  and  the  beginning  of  the  trouble  with 
them  boys  was  the  forgetting  of  their  compass.     That  did  the  whole 


u 


li 


w 


"^ 


^^^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


107 


,"  •■ 


business,  sir.  But  there's  no  use  in  growling  at  them  now.  Yes, 
that  did  the  business ;  the  sharpest  man  that  runs  this  coast,  or  has 
two  eyes  to  his  head,  might  as  well  be  headed  up  in  a  barrel  and 
set  afloat  as  to  be  caught  at  sea  without  a  compass.  I  got  in  that 
same  fix  once.  Yes.  sir.  I  for>'o^  my  compass,  and  I  was  a  good 
deal  older  than  your  boys,  too ;  in  fact  I  was  a  married  man,  and  so 
should  have  had  more  sense,  you  see.  I  started  out  one  morning 
in  a  hurry  after  a  mackerel  school.  Got  a  boat-load,  but  while  1 
was  at  it,  and  not  noticing  anything  but  mackerel,  down  came  the 
fog,  and  when  I  went  to  lay  my  course  for  shore,  the  compass  wasn't 
in  the  boat.  Well,  sir.  if  you  had  taken  my  head  off  I  couldn't  have 
been  in  a  worse  box,  especially  when  the  wind  began  to  blow,  and  I 
had  to  make  ready  for  scudding  before  it  by  throwing  nearly  all  my 
mackerel  overboard  again.  I  was  four  days  pounding  about  on  that 
sea.  living  on  raw  mackerel  and  drinking  rain  water,  and  where  do 
you  suppose  I  fetched  up?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  couldn't  conjecture,"  said  Mr.  Melville,  following  the 
man's  words  ve.y  closely. 

"  Not  in  Davy  Jones'  locker,  seeing  as  how  I'm  here  this  minnit. 
and  as  well  and  comfortable  as  a  robin  in  a  cherry  tree.  Well,  sir, 
I  fetched  up  plum  against  Sable  Island." 

"  You  did  !    That  was  wonderful !" 

'•  Yes,  I  did.  But  how  I  ever  got  through  that  infernal  surf — 
begging  your  pardon  for  the  word — the  good  Lord  only  knows.  All 
I  know  is  that  I  put  on  every  inch  of  canvas  I  had.  Says  I  to  my- 
self, I've  only  been  married  six  months,  and  I'm  not  going  to  give 
up  the  rest  of  it  if  I  can  help  it,  so  I  just  squared  away  and  ripped  it 
before  the  wind  till  I  banged  the  boat  smash  upon  the  beach  ;  and 
she  came  down  with  such  a  thud  it  knocked  the  bottom  out  of  her 
from  stem  to  starn.  I  knew  something  about  Sable  Island — it  isn't 
like  Eden,  you  know — yet  I  just  down  on  my  knees  and  thanked  the 
Lord  for  all  I  was  worth. 

"  But  when  I'd  been  there  a  whole  year  I  didn't  feel  quite  so 
thankful.  Fact  is,  I  began  to  grumble  like  a  thunderstorm.  Cos 
why?    There  was   Polly,  you  see — the  same    that    sets  'tother 


108 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


siae  of  the  fireplace  now  trying  to  give  me  a  wink  not  to  go 
on  so  before  the  minister.  Well,  sir,  I  thought  she'd  begin  to 
think  I'd  gone  to  the  bottom,  and  then  the  next  thing,  she'd  begin 
to  think  about  getting  another  husband,  and  the  idee,  seeing  as  how 
we'd  been  married  so  short  a  time,  almost  drove  me  crazy.  But  I 
got  back  here  as  sound  as  a  cobble  stone,  and  Polly  says  she  never 
so  much  as  dreamed  of  getting  married  again,  and  she  sticks  to  it 
yet,  though  we  have  lived  twenty  years  together,  and  she's  fifty-two 
years  old." 

"John  Blewitt — you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself!"  Mrs. 
Blewitt  exclaimed,  warningly. 

"Well,  sir,  what  I'm  driving  at  is  this:  I  says  to  myself 
all  along,  them  boys  had  just  as  good  a  chance  to  fetch  up 
on  Sable  Island  as  I  did.  And  from  what  you  have  told  me 
about  their  pranks  with  the  surf,  and  ali  that  sort  of  thing, 
they'd  stand  a  better  chance  of  getting  ashore  than  I  did. 
If  they  are  there,  they'll  have  to  stay  till  next  summer.  And 
if  I  was  you.  I'd  just  drop  my  anchor  to  that  bottom  and  not 
lift  it  to  the  cathead  again  till  you  have  had  time  to  hear  from 
Sable  Island.  That's  why  I've  let  my  tongue  wobble  like  a  rudder 
without  a  tiller.  When  I  heard  you  preaching  this  evening  about 
patience  and  resignation  In  suffering,  and  aU  that  sort  of  thing, 
says  I  to  myself,  •  he's  thinking  about  his  boys,  and  V\\  take  him 
home  to  stay  the  night  with  me,  and  I'll  tell  him  my  experience, 
and  then  exhort  him  to  belay  his  hopes  to  Sable  Island,  as  well  as 
to  God.'  " 

"  You  have  done  me  a  good  turn.  Mr.  Blewitt,  far  better  than  you 
know;  but  why  didn't  you  come  over  to  Black  Point  and  let  me 
know  about  this  before  ?" 

"Well,  sir,  fact  Is,  I'd  as  soon  think  of  steering  alongside  of  a 
battleship  what  has  all  her  guns  going  as  to  think  of  steering  for  a 
minister;  It's  because  I'm  such  a  born  sinner  that  I'm  so  scared 
of  preachers.  But  when  you  went  on  to-night  as  you  did,  not  In 
the  If-you-don't-youMl-be-damnea  style  that  we've  got  so  used  to 
that  we  don't  care  a  fig  for  It,  but  as  if  you  had  a  heart  under  your 


■■MWl»r  ''  * 


a 
a 
ed 
in 
to 
■>ur 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


109 


blacK  coat,  I  just  swiped  my  eyes,  and  says  to  myself,  while  the 
tears  were  leaking  out  of  me,  '  he's  the  man  to  set  folks  on  their 
pins,  and  if  I  can  get  him  into  my  house,  I'll  do  my  best  to  set  him 
on  his  again.' 

"  And  now,  Polly,  both  me  and  the  minister  have  done  so  much 
talking  to-day,  we  are  hungry  enough  for  a  second  supper ;  so  just 
fetch  us  something  to  eat,  and  I'll  acknowledge  that  ycu'd  have 
waited  more  than  a  year  before  you  married  again." 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Melville  faced  a  driving  snowstorm,  and 
put  Black  Prince  to  his  best  gait,  for  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  get  home, 
as  the  bearer  of  another  "  sign." 


TAKINi;   PRIVATE  ROOMS. 

OT  far  from  the  station  was 
the  hulk  of  the  Maskomet. 
whose  name  could  still  be  read 
upon  the  stern  and  along  the 
starboard  and  port  rail  of  the 
quarter-deck.  The  figure- 
head, a  full-length  carving  in 
wood  of  an  over-sized  young 
Indian  squaw,  with  a  broad 
expanse  of  naked  bust  and  a 
liberal  length  of  naked  legs, 
with  girth  sufficient  for  any 
ordinary  waist,  was  still  in  a 
healthy  condition,  though  the 
complexion,  originally  of  gilt, 
was  somewhat  the  worse  from 
the  wear  and  tear  of  wind  and 
weather. 

Both  the  name  and  the 
figure-head  indicated  the  na- 
tionality of  the  ship,  and  the 
Lo-the-poor- Indian  partialities 
of  the  builders,  as  well.  Mas- 
komet was  doubtless  the  name  of  the  poor   Indian  maiden  on  the 

bow,  an(J  her  plaintive  presence  there,  In  all  probability,  commemo- 

ui 


CP 


c^ 


•;i^ 


112 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I 
I 

i 


rated  some  thrilling  story  describing  the  conflicts  between  the  savage 
tomahawks  of  Indians  and  the  gentle  shotted  gun  of  the  white  man. 

Dick  and  Jack  had  often  viewed  the  maiden  Maskomet,  and  in- 
dulged in  blunt  criticisms  upon  the  art  displayed  in  her  structure,  as 
well  as  in  wild  guesses  as  to  her  history,  but  they  had  never  boarded 
the  Maskomet  herself.  They  were  so  used  to  wrecks,  and  wrecks 
at  best  were  melancholy  things,  and  first  and  last,  there  were  so 
many  of  them  scattered  up  and  down  Sable  Island,  the  boys  preferred 
to  stay  on  the  outside  of  the  dismal  hulks. 

The  Maskomet  lay  on  an  even  keel,  broadside  up  the  beach,  and 
half  buried  in  the  sand.  Stumps  of  her  three  masts,  running  up  to 
the  first  cross-trees,  still  remained  supported  by  shrouds  that  were 
almost  as  good  as  when  the  ship  sailed  the  sea.  The  main-top  was 
utilized  by  Captain  Moline  for  a  crow's  nest — or  observation  station. 
A  snug  box  was  built  at  the  top  of  the  mast,  and  here  were  water- 
proof lockers  containing  spyglass,  signal  flags  and  signal  rockets,  for 
use  when  occasion  called.  No  one  was  permitted  to  ascend  the  rat- 
lines leading  to  this  lookout  except  on  duty. 

One  morning,  after  Dick  and  Jack  had  tired  themselves  racing  up 
and  down  the  beach  with  each  other,  and  chasing  the  surf,  as  it  re- 
ceded, for  the  sake  of  h^ing  chased  by  it  in  turn,  as  it  rolled  up  the 
sands,  they  threw  themselves  down  in  the  dry  sand  under  the  very 
nose  of  Maskomet,  who,  indifferent  to  their  presence,  kept  her  faded 
eyes  fixed  vacantly  upon  the  west,  as  if  dreaming  of  the  wilderness 
that  was  once  the  undisturbed  heritage  of  her  forefathers. 

Dick  sat  in  a  position  where  his  eyes  could  rake  the  proportions 
of  the  ship  fore  and  aft,  and  it  was  now  he  noticed  her  graceful  lines, 
felt  a  sympathy  for  her,  and  a  desire  to  board  her. 

'  Jack,"  he  said,  "  let's  board  the  Maskomet,  and  see  what  there 
is  inside  of  her." 

There  was  a  big  hole  stove  in  the  hull,  which  answered  for  en- 
trance to  those  who  had  occasion  to  go  up  to  the  crow's  nest ;  when 
the  boys  reached  this,  Jack  halted  outside,  seeing  how  dark  it  was 
within. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


113 


But  Dick  went  far  enough  in  to  look  around,  and  said  to  Jack : 
"  It  does  look  boogharish  in  here,  for  a  fact,  but  if  any  spirits  ever 
got  into  this  place,  they  must  have  been  washed  out  long  ago,  or  got 
tired  of  waiting  for  a  chance  to  frighten  somebody.  Come  on,  Jack, 
what's  the  matter  with  you  ?" 

"Well,  she  did  have  spirits  aboard  of  her  once,"  Jack  replied, 
still  holding  back. 

"What's  that!"  And  Dick,  with  one  spring,  jumped  out  into 
daylight  again. 

"  And  they  were  mighty  bad  spirits,  too.  Captain  Moline  told  me 
all  about  them  one  day  when  you  went  out  with  the  patrol." 

"  What  did  he  tell  you  ?     I  thought  he  never  told  sailor  yarns." 

"  It  wasn't  a  yarn,  but  naked  truth.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  them, 
the  Maskomet  wouldn't  have  come  ashore  here.  She  had  casks  of 
spirits  among  her  cargo,  and  the  captain  and  the  mate  got  so  drunk 
on  them  that  the  men,  seeing  the  condition  of  their  officers,  broke 
into  the  casks  and  got  drunk  also,  and  that's  how  the  Maskomet 
happens  to  be  here.  That's  the  kind  of  spirits  I  mean,  and  they  are 
bad  enough,  goodness  knows — worse  than  any  other  kind  I  ever 
heard  of  excepting  the  kind  that's  lost." 

"  Yes,  bad  enough  in  all  conscience,  for  they  have  made  millions 
of  worse  wrecks  than  this.  But  I  didn't  know  that  this  was  what  you 
were  driving  at.     Did  he  tell  you  what  became  of  the  crew  ?' ' 

"Yes;  the  lifemen  got  them  ashore,  though  they  were  so  drunk 
they  had  to  be  thrown  into  the  bottom  of  ihe  boat  like  so  many  fish. 
And  when  they  sobered  up.  and  the  ship  was  driven  in  by  a  high  tide 
and  a  high  sea,  they  thought  they  were  going  to  have  a  high  time  by 
having  all  the  liquor  they  wanted.  They  made  a  regular  fight  to  get 
on  board,  but  the  lifemen  fought  them  back  till  Captain  Moline  and 
another  man  knocked  the  casks  and  kegs  in  the  he:^d  and  spilled 
all  the  liquor  In  the  hold.  And  when  the  lifemen  got  on  to  the 
beach  again,  the  sailors  were  so  mad,  there  was  another  pitched 
battle.  The  captain  said  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Jumps,  the  sailors 
would  have  had  everything  their  own  way.  The  giant  knocked  the 
men  down  as  fast  as  they  could  get  up,  and  pounded  them  right  and 


114 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


left,  till  they  were  glad  to  give  up.  After  that,  there  was  no  trouble, 
for  half  of  the  men  were  sent  to  the  other  end  of  the  island.  The 
men  were  on  the  island  nine  months  and  twenty  days  before  they 
got  a  chance  to  get  away." 

"  Guess  they  were  sober  enough  when  they  went  away,  then." 
"  Yes,  but  five  ot  them  didn't  get  away ;  two  died,  and  the  other 
three  are  members  of  the  crew  that's  here  now.  They  said  they'd 
ramer  stay  here,  where  they  could  keep  sober  and  save  their  wages, 
and  be  of  use.  than  to  spend  their  money  and  ruin  themselves  fool- 
ing among  the  bar-rooms  of  the  cities  and  towns." 
"  Who  are  the  men?" 

•  Billings  is  one — the  one  they  call  judge." 

•  Why.  Billings  is  a  tip-top  fellow.  He's  as  clean-lipped  as  a 
baby,  and  a  good,  square  chap  every  way.     And  the  other  two?" 

"Tompkins  and  McTavish." 

•'  Tompkins  and  McTavish  !  Who  would  suppose  that  either  of 
them  had  ever  been  soaked  in  rum.  They  are  the  ones  who  got  gold 
medals  from  the  English  and  United  States  governments  for  bravery 
when  the  Glasgow  came  on  shore.  The  gun  couldn't  get  a  line  to 
her.  and  the  surf-boat  upset  twice  in  trying  to  get  out.  and  then 
these  two  men  took  a  dory  and  fought  the  surf  till  they  reached  the 
ship  and  made  fast  a  line,  and  stayed  on  board  till  every  man  of  the 
crew  was  landed.  When  they  got  ashore  themselves  they  were 
half  frozen.  That's  how  McTavish  lost  the  greater  part  of  his 
ears.  The  giant  is  always  bragging  about  those  two  men-  and  no 
wonder.'' 

Jack  laughed,  as  he  said  :  "  Yet  the  giant  nearly  killed  them  in 
the  row  over  the  Maskomet's  spirits.  Captain  Moline  told  me  that 
the  big  scar  on  Tompkins'  forehead  is  where  the  giant's  fist  hit  him 
and  laid  the  flesh  open  to  the  skull." 

"  Well,  some  sinners  can't  be  converted  in  any  other  way.  1 
shouldn't  want  to  take  my  medicine  in  that  style.  One  solid  blow 
from  Jumps'  big  fist  would  almost  land  me  on  the  mainland.  But 
come  on,  let's  get  into  the  Maskomet." 

This  time  Jack  made  no  objections,  and  both  were  soon  on  deck. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


115 


Nearly  all  the  upper  works  of  the  ship  were  in  quite  good  order, 
save  where  a  piece  of  the  port  bulwark  had  been  carried  away. 
Jack  being  a  good  climber,  proposed  that  they  should  go  up  to  the 
crow's  nest. 

"  The  captain  is  so  good-natured  he  won't  mind  our  going  up," 
he  said. 

"Everyman  is  good-natured  till  he  gets  mad,"  replied  Dick; 
"  and  if  we  were  to  break  the  rules  and  go  to  climbing  into  that  Blue 
Beard  chamber,  we'd  get  thunder  from  him  in  no  time.  If  it  is 
proper  for  us  to  go  up,  he'll  invite  us  to  do  it  if  we  stick  to  his  heels 
close  enough  some  day  \vhen  he  is  going  up.  But  here's  the  cabin, 
there's  no  law  against  poking  about  that  all  we  want  to." 

The  ship  had  a  high  quarter-deck,  so  that  two  steps  gave  easy  ac- 
cess to  the  cabin,  which  consisted  of  three  good-sized  rooms.  One 
of  these  was  handsomely  decorated  with  carved  medallions  set  in 
gilded  panels.  The  heavy,  fixed  furniture  of  the  cabin  still  re- 
mained, and  the  thick  glass  of  the  lights  was  as  good  as  when 
first  put  in. 

Dick  sat  down  upon  one  of  the  lockers,  while  Jack  searched  from 
cranny  to  cranny  with  an  eagerness  that  made  him  oblivious  of  the 
uncanny  creatures  he  had  professed  to  fear.  When  he  had  com- 
pleted his  search,  he  called :    "  Look  here,  Dick,  I've  got  an  idea!" 

"  And  I  have  more  than  I  know  what  to  do  with."  was  Dick's  an- 
swer.    "  Fact  is,  I'm  thinking  of  moving  in  here." 

"  By  cracky!    You're  the  looking  glass  of  my  thoughts,  old  chap." 

Then  Dick  went  on  to  mention  some  things  that  had  caused  him 
much  discomfort,  and  not  a  few  scruples.  "  It  isn't  decent  for  us 
to  have  to  go  to  bed  and  get  up  in  public,  as  we  have  to  do  over  in 
the  men's  loft.  Besides,  though  most  of  the  men  are  clean  enough 
in  their  talk,  some  of  them  get  so  smutty  at  times  that  it  makes  me 
sick  at  my  stomach.  I  could  stand  it,  perhaps,  but  for  you  ;  a  boy's 
ears  ought  to  be  kept  as  clean  as  a  girl's  ears.  I  wo.  :r  why  it  is 
that  some  men  talk  as  if  they  thought  they  couldn't  be  funny  with- 
out getting  nasty." 

'  Look  here,  Dick!    We  don't  want  to  set  up  for  a  pair  of  boy 


116 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


prigs,  do  we?  The  men  treat  us  splendidly,  and  we  don't  want  to 
hurt  their  feelings  ;  yet  it's  just  as  you  say— some  of  their  yarns  smell 
worse  than  a  pig  pen.  And  this  getting  up  and  going  to  bed  before 
them  makes  me  feel  like  a  savage." 

"Then  we'll  come  here,  if  the  captain  will  let  us,  though  he'll 
think  we  are  after  the  novelty  more  thart  we  are  after  the  morality 
of  the  thing."  • 

But  the  captain  had  been  thinking  of  the  very  things  that  troubled 
the  boys,  and,  besides,  he  was  ready  to  fall  in  with  anything  that 
would  occupy  their  minds  and  time.  And  when  they  consulted  with 
him  about  taking  possession  of  the  Maskomet,  he  said : 

"  Why,  to  be  sure  I  How  stupid  we  have  been  that  we  didn't 
think  of  this  before.  Almost  the  entire  cabin  outfit  of  the  Masko- 
met is  stowed  away  there  in  the  wreckhouse,  and  s\\  you'll  have  to 
do  is  to  carry  it  bacK  again  and  make  yourselves  as  snug  as  the 
Maskomet  captain  was  himself.  Of  course,  some  of  the  things  will 
be  a  little  musty,  from  having  been  wet  with  salt  water  and  from 
being  so  long  stowed  away.  A  good  airing  on  deck  will  soon  remedy 
that,  however.  We  have  even  got  an  old  stove  that  you  can  put  in 
there  to  cook  with,  and  another  small  one  that  will  do  for  a  heater, 
when  the  cold  weather  comes  on.  I'll  order  Jumps  to  give  you  ra- 
tions of  pork,  salt  junk,  ship  biscuit,  oatmeal,  brown  sugar,  and  any- 
thing else  we  have,  once  a  week,  and  fresh  stuff  you  can  help  your- 
selves to  with  your  guns  and  your  own  wits,  for  there  is  no  end  of 
^ame  up  at  the  lake.  .'  : 

"And,  furthermore,  when  you  have  settled  yourselves  down,  I'll 
take  you  up  into  the  crow's  nest,  and  if  you  will  learn  all  about  the 
signal  flags  and  rockets,  so  as  to  pass  an  examination  on  them 
before  ♦he  crew,  I'll  make  Dick  captain  of  the  main-top  with  Jack 
for  his  mate.  But  a  time  may  come  when  we'll  use  you  in  dead 
earnest,  so,  you  see,  that  there  must  be  no  fooling  with  this  part  of 
the  business. 

"  Then,  there's  the  hold  of  the  Maskomet,  which  you  can  use  as  a 
stable  for  Topsy  and  Turvy.  The  sand  floor  will  make  them  feel  at 
home  there,  though  you  may,  at  the  first,  have  to  coax  them  a  little 


i 


:    I 


V^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


117 


1 


a 

it 


before  you  can  make  them  believe  that  the  hole  in  the  side  of  the 
hulk  is  a  barn  door. 

"  There  is  a  little  place  back  of  the  cabin  that  was  used  for  the 
ship's  armory — you  can  keep  your  guns  and  ammunition  there  ;  and, 
if  you  want  sword  exercise,  there's  a  lot  of  old  cutlasses  among  the 
other  fighting  truck  in  the  wreckhouse  from  which  you  can  help 
yourselves.  -        ' 

"  it  will  be  a  nice  thing  for  us  to  have  a  pair  of  neighbors  that  we 
can  call  upon  once  in  a  while,  and  we'll  polish  up  our  manners  so  as 
to  make  our  calls  in  style." 

The  captain  ran  on  like  a  child  with  a  new  plaything,  and  the 
giant  and  the  men,  whose  monotonous  lives  made  them  thirsty  for 
anything  new,  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  plan  as  heartily  as  though 
it  were  a  question  of  filling  a  big  Christmas  stocking  for  an  only 
child.  In  two  days  Dick  end  Jack  were  "  at  home  "  to  company  on 
the  Maskomet,  with  a  plum-duff  supper  served  by  the  giant  in  his 
best  Sable  Island  style,  with  a  showing  of  china  and  silver  that  would 
have  made  some  of  the  gentler  sex  grow  green  with  envy.  Big 
Bingo  climbed  the  plank  gangway,  built  from  the  hold  up  to  the  main 
deck,  and  took  his  shpie  of  plum-duff  with  as  much  zeal  as  the  best 
of  them.  ♦ 

In  a  week's  time  Dick  and  Jack  had  so  mastered  he  simple  code 
of  the  signal  flags  and  the  duties  of  the  main-top,  as  to  be  able  to 
answer  any  question  the  lifemen  saw  fit  to  put  to  them,  though 
Boggs,  who  thought  he  knew  more  than  all  the  reJ  of  the  men  put 
together,  tried  to  entangle  them  in  posers  that  had  nothing  to  do 
with  main-top  possibilities. 

The  boys  became  so  elated  over  the  success  of  their  examination, 
and  so  exalted  by  their  silver  and  china,  and  so  excited  by  the  old 
cutlasses,  pistols  and  guns  they  brought  from  the  wreckhouse  and 
hung  in  various  v/ays  upon  their  cabin  walls,  that  their  imaginations 
cut  up  all  sorts  of  didos  with  them.  Their  favorite  amusement  in 
the  evening,  when  they  were  alone,  was  to  suppose  that  the  Masko- 
met was  an  American  battleship  voyaging  around  the  world  and 
striking  terror  and  wonder  into  pirates  of  every  clime  and  into  nations 


118 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I-  ■  'I 


f 


of  every  name  that  were  not  ready  to  do  homage  to  the  Stars  and 
Stripes.  Recalling  their  race  with  the  revenue  cutter  on  the  You 
Bet,  they  loaded  their  guns  with  shot  as  big  as  barrels  and  blew  the 
revenue  cutter  out  of  water  with  a  frequency  that  made  it  seem  as 
if  that  insignificant  craft  had  more  lives  than  a  cat.  They  even 
sailed  into  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  and  attacking  Gibraltar  itself, 
wrested  that  fortification  from  the  English,  and,  with  hats  off  in 
courtly  politeness  and  generosity,  restored  it  to  Spain  with  a  promise 
to  keep  the  blasted  Britishers  from  ever  touching  it  again. 

Occs'jionally  Jack  would  yawn  from  the  excess  of  Dick's  imagina- 
tion, and  once  he  said,  point  blank:  "Oh,  belay  there,  Dick! 
What's  the  use  of  going  on  in  that  style,  when  you  know  you  are 
hatching  it  all  out  of  your  own  brain." 

Dick  had  the  breath  taken  out  of  him  for  a  minute,  but  after  lean- 
ing back  on  the  locker-lounge  he  recovered  himself  enough  to  point 
his  long,  lean,  brown  forefinger  at  jack,  and  say  :  •'  What's  the  use  ? 
What's  the  use  of  anything  that's  bigger  than  the  little  things  around 
us  ?  What's  the  use  of  any  of  those  story-telling  books  of  father's 
library  we  have  almost  worn  the  covers  off  of  ?  What's  the  use  of 
Don  Quixote  and  Sancho  Panza,  and  Homer's  Poems,  and  "  Gulli- 
ver's Travels,"  and  "  The  Ancient  Mariner,"  .-^nd  "  Paradise  Lost," 
and  "  The  Arabian  Nights,"  and  "The  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  and 
"  The  Flying  Dutchman,"  and  all  that  sort  of  thing  ?  Why,  I  should 
think  that  Old  Gray  Blanket  had  been  making  you  a  visit,  and  telling 
the  Lord  in  his  prayers  what  awful  books  you  were  reading,  and  ask- 
ing Him  to  hurry  up  the  end  of  the  world, so  that  father's  books,  and 
all  others  like  them,  might  be  turned  into  ashes."  , 

Dick  rattled  all  this  off  so  glibly,  beginning  in  tones  of  well-feigned 
indignation  and  ending  with  such  a  comical  imitation  of  Old  Gray 
Blanket's  sing-song  prayer  swing,  that  Jack  interrupted  him  with  the 
violence  of  his  laughter. 

"  Well,  rather  than  have  another  such  a  rope  as  that  flung  around 
my  neck,"  said  Jack,  "you  may  go  ahead  with  the  old  Maskomet ; 
but  as  we  have  knocked  nearly  everything  on  earth  into  splinters  with 
her  guns,  let  us  make  a  trip  to  the  moon  and  tackle  the  Man  in  the 


"»  I. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


119 


■  'i; 


11 


,i'-rf?' 


d^i 


s^ 


Moon,  or  go  to  Saturn  and  steal  his  rings,  or  to  Jupiter  and  make 
ninepins  of  his  satellites." 

"  That's  more  like  it,"  said  Dick,  "  and  shows  that  my  mate  has 
found  his  sea-legs  again." 

One  night,  after  Dick  had  turned  the  Maskomet  into  the  Flying 
Dutchman,  and  had  manned  her  with  a  crew  of  ancient  mariners, 
and  had  taken  a  roving  commission  to  scare  everything  that  was  on 
the  ocean  or  under  it.  Jack,  by  way  of  changing  the  subject,  gave  a 
yell  that  made  him  think  that  the  squaw  figure-head  of  the  Masko- 
met had  suddenly  come  into  the  cabin  to  make  them  a  present  of  a 
real  Indian  war  whoop. 

"  Gracious,  Jack !  Hov;  you  frightened  me!"  Dick  exclaimed, 
with  some  show  of  irritation. 

"  Well,  it's  time  you  cam.e  to  your  senses — I  thought  that  a  good 
yell  would  bring  you  back  to  them.  1  want  a  chance  to  say  that  I 
am  getting  tired  of  salt  junk  and  soaked  and  scoused  hard  tack. 
Suppose  we  bundle  out  in  the  morning  and  go  duck  hunting — a  fresh 
mess  will  be  worth  more  than  tons  of  this  stuff  you've  been  turning 
on  to  a  fellow  by  the  ship  load.  I  move  that  we  oil  our  guns  to- 
night, so  that,  if  the  weather  is  right,  we  can  get  off  bright  and 
early." 

"  Very  good,"  Dick  replied,  the  chills,  caused  by  Jack's  shriek, 
having  had  time  to  leave  his  veins.  "  I'd  like  a  fresh  mess  myself. 
But  I  wish  we  had  our  Black  Point  guns  along  with  us.  That  old 
double-barreled  |;un  I  shoot  with  here  kicks  like  a  mule,  and  hurts 
me  almost  as  much  as  she  hurts  the  game,  and  that  long-nosed 
single-barrel  of  yours  scatters  shot  worse  than  our  pepper-box  scat- 
ters pepper." 

"  There's  so  much  the  more  reason,  then,"  said  jack,  "  why  you 
should  give  your  gun  a  good  cleaning  and  oiling.  It's  been  a  week 
or  more  since  you  swabbed  her,  and  there  is  so  much  salt  air  about 
here,  rust  comes  as  easy  as  sin.  I  am  well  enough  pleased  with  old 
long  bore,  she  scatters  so  that  she's  almost  sure  to  hit  something, 
whether  I. aim  or  not.     I  fired  her  off  the  other  day,  when  you  were 


120 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


■  i 


away — fired  just  to  get  rid  of  her  charge — and  she  brought  down  an 
old  gray  gull  that  couldn't  have  been  more  surprised  than  I  was."' 

"  Well,  don't  you  fire  that  thing  off  unless  I'm  dead  behind  you. 
I  mean-a-not,  unles  "ti  astern  of  you.  for,  in  addition  to  scattering 
like  a  hailstorm,  shi  pt  to  go  off  on  a  half-cock  like  Old  Gray 
Blanket's  sudden  exhortations." 

When  the  boys,  mounted  on  their  ponies,  rode  out  of  the  hole  in 
the  Maskomet's  side  the  next  morning,  fully  equipped  for  a  forenoon 
of  sport,  the  two  giants,  the  great  Dutchman  and  the  great  Bernard 
dog.  saluted  them  each  in  his  own  way. 

Jumps  had  heard  Dick  and  Jack  wish  for  a  chew  of  the  spruce 
gum  they  kept  themselves  supplied  with  from  native  sources  at  Black 
Point,  and  he  greeted  them  with :  "  Here  vas  dose  gum  dot  her 
vants,"  and  he  handed  each  a  lum.p  the  size  of  a  small  egg.  In 
chopping  a  hemlock  plank  into  firewood,  he  had  found  a  large  sack 
of  solidified  resin  in  a  cavity  of  the  plank,  such  as  is  quite  frequently 
found  in  that  kind  of  wood.  This  resin,  he  boiled  and  tempered  till 
it  reached  the  required  consistency,  and,  having  been  ^  gum  hunter 
in  his  own  boyhood,  he  formed  it  as  nearly  into  the  shape  of  a  good 
fat  nodule  of  spruce  gum  as  he  could  make  it. 

"  By  gum  !"  exclaimed  Jack,  after  having  broken  off  enough  of 
his  lump  to  test  its  quality,  "  this  is  gum.  sure  enough.  Where  did 
you  raise  it  ?" 

"  It's  the  genuine  article,  Jumps,"  said  Dick,  chewing  at  it  like  a 
graduated  gum-fiend :  "  and  I'll  bring  you  back  six  ducks  for  it." 

"  And  I'll  fetch  you  six  more,"  joined  Jack.     . 

•'  Yas,  dot  vas  gum ;  und  ven  she  vas  goot  enough,  he  vas  not  hafe 
to  say  vare  it  comes,  und  you  don't  hafe  to  pring  dem  ducks  vot  you 
say."  And,  shaking  his  great  sides  in  self-congratulation  over  his 
success,  he  walked  away. 

Bingo  went  among  the  dunes  with  them.  Yet  he  was  in  the  habit 
of  either  barking  or  growling  his  displeasure  at  every  shot  fired  in 
his  majestic  presence.  As  a  hunter  of  game,  he  wasn't  worth  a  pin. 
All  his  instincts  ran  to  saving  life,  and  not  to  destroying  it.  He 
would  make  friendly  overtures  to  a  rat,  if  he  saw  one  around.     But 


:'i  ' 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


121 


•'>i 


when  human  beings  were  struggling  single-handed  with  the  surf,  or 
when  they  were  cast,  unnoticed,  upon  the  beach,  or  when  lifemen, 
as  was  sometimes  the  case,  got  injured  among  the  dunes  in  th*? 
storms  of  winter,  he  was  a  great  hero,  in  spite  of  his  skin  and  shape. 
And  more  than  one  human  being  owed  his  escape  from  a  lingering 
or  sudden  death  to  Bingo's  sagacity  and  fidelity.  If  even  a  wild 
pony  was  found  in  distress  among  the  dunes,  Bingo  would  give  the 
men  no  rest-till  relief  of  death  was  inflicted  in  mercy  upon  the  help- 
less, or  the  aid  of  remedies  was  applied  to  such  as  still  had  a  fight- 
ing chance  for  life. 

He  trotted  ahead  of  the  boys,  as  they  went  among  the  dunes, 
more  by  way  of  seeing  that  they  met  with  no  disaster  than  by  way  of 
abetting  their  sanguinary  purposes. 

As  the  boys  advanced,  innumerable  plover  and  curlew  fluttered 
upward  from  the  minature  marsh  meadows  abounding  among  the 
dunes,  and  piped  such  shrill  warning  cries,  that  the  gulls  began  to 
flock  iround  the  boys  by  thousands.  The  naturalists  say  that  there 
are  over  ninety  different  species  of  gulls,  and  it  seemed  as  if  every 
specie  was  represented  in  the  cloud  of  wings  that  darkened  the  air 
while  Dick  and  Jack  went  on  their  way.  And  so  belligerent  did  they 
become,  that  boys,  ponies  and  dog  were  compelled  to  adroit  dodging 
in  order  to  preserve  their  eyes,  ears  and  noses  from  the  vicious  beak 
strokes  of  their  swift  and  agile  enemies.  Every  gull  had  a  musquito 
soul,  which  said  as  plainly  as  actions  could  say,  "  I'm  out  for  blood." 

Suddenly,  the  boys,  on  turning  a  dune,  came  upon  a  herd  of  thirty 
wild  ponies,  which,  after  defiantly  standing  at  bay  for  a  moment, 
scurried  away  in  such  a  compact  body,  that  they  looked  as  though  a 
small  tornado  had  been  out  gathering  horse  hair  and  was  now  trying 
to  roll  it  into  a  compact  ball  for  transportation  to  the  main.  The 
gulls  condensed  themselves  into  a  mixed  cloud  above  the  fleeing 
herd,  and,  eddying  over  them  in  circles,  yet  keeping  pace  with  their 
flight,  sped  away,  giving  the  boys  a  chance  to  sit  erect  once  more. 

Just  before  reaching  the  lake,  Dick  and  Jack  dismounted,  and  bid- 
ding Bingo,  who  was  useless  for  retrieving,  to  watch  the  ponies,  they 
made  their  way,  under  shelter  of  the  gradually  diminishing  dunes,  to 


122 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


m 


III 


i!f' 


a  point  where  they  could  command  a  full  view  of  the  lake,  a  shallow 
body  of  water  fourteen  miles  long  and  of  an  average  width  of  half  a 
mile.  Nothing  in  the  shape  of  a  tree  flourishes  there,  and  as  a  proof 
that  all  attempts  to  colonize  Sable  Island  must  fail  in  the  future,  as 
they  have  failed  in  the  past,  and  that  Nature  has  put  a  veto  upon  all 
idea  of  having  children  born  there,  she  steadfastly  refuses  to  grow  so 
much  as  a  single  switch  for  the  convenience  of  either  parents  or 
schoolmasters. 

But,  Shade  of  Fatherland  I  What  a  camp-meeting,  or  rather  a 
Chicago  World's  Fair,  of  ducks !  Ducks  by  the  millions !  Ducks 
of  every  duck  kindred,  tribe  and  nation  under  the  heavens,  and  In 
such  a  variety  of  hues  that  even  the  eyes  of  a  Parisian  would  have 
been  confounded  by  them,  and  such  a  diversity  of  duck  tongues  that 
Babel  was  as  plain  English  in  comparison.  They  were  swimming  in 
the  water  and  flying  in  the  air  with  so  many  different  movements 
that  Dick  and  Jack  grew  dizzy  watching  them.  They  played  to- 
gether by  families  and  fought  one  another  by  tribes  for  position,  and. 
altogether,  acted  so  much  like  human  beings,  that  one  could  almost 
believe  with  the  Hindoos  that  many  spirits  of  the  dead  having  failed 
to  get  their  angel  wings  had  put  on  ducks'  feathers  and  come  back 
to  earth  to  see  if  they  couldn't  in  the  next  ending  of  their  earthly 
struggles  come  out  in  better  shape. 

Jack,  almost  frightened  by  the  amazing  hosts,  said  :  "  Look  here, 
Dick !  What  if  those  fellows  should  take  a  notion  to  flop  down  here 
and  pile  themselves  upon  us.  We'd  be  in  a  worse  fix  than  that 
Roman  girl  father  tells  about,  who,  as  the  price  of  her  treachery,  de- 
manded jewels,  and  had  the  ornaments  of  the  soldiers  piled  upon  her 
so  thick  that  there  wasn't  enough  breath  left  in  her  body  to  enable 
her  to  wear  them." 

For  answer,  Dick  said:  "Here  goes!"  and  bang,  bang  went 
both  barrels  of  his  old  kick-back.  Jack  blazed  away,  also ;  and  so 
they  kept  it  up  as  fast  as  they  could  load  and  fire,  scc..v.ely  taking  the 
trouble  to  aim,  but  bringing  down  ducks  at  every  discharge. 

"There,  Jack,  Vm  fired  out.  not  a  charge  left,"  said  Dick,  after 
he  had  exhausted  his  ammunition. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


123 


"  And  I'm  tired  out,"  Jack  responded,  stretching  himself  at  full 
[  length   in  the  beach  grass.     But  how  are  we  to  get  our  game? 

Bingo  won't  touch  a  dead  bird." 

"  We  need  not  worry  about  that."  replied  Dick.  "  Jumps  said  there 
was  a  punt  down  in  the  sedge — placed  there  for  picking  up  ducks." 
And  on  hunting  for  it  they  found  it  without  any  trouble,  and  picked 
up  thirty-one  dead  and  wounded,  which  they  put  in  two  ganny  bags 
for  convenient  slinging  over  the  back  of  one  of  the  ponies. 

'*  And  now  for  the  cranberries  to  fill  the  other  two  bags  for  my 
load,"  exclaimed  Jack.  "  We  must  have  a  whole  barrel  for  our  own 
use  during  the  winter." 

Sable  Island's  odd  lake — the  oddest  lake  we  ever  heard  or  read 
of — is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  deep,  black,  tough  bog,  knitted 
together  by  the  roots  of  the  cranberry  vine,  which  also  abounds  among 
the  small  bogs  scattered  among  the  dunes  over  the  whole  Island. 
Around  that  lake,  in  the  season  of  the  berry,  thousands  of  barrels  of 
cranberries  grow  scarlet  in  the  face,  because  there  is  no  one  to  pick 
or  market  them  They  waste  their  sourness  upon  the  desert  air  be- 
cause in  the  nature  ot  things  there  is  no  possible  way  of  bringing 
them  and  the  mouths  of  mainland  humanity  together. 

Dick  and  Jack  picked  two  bushels  in  less  than  an  hour ;  and  such 
berries  I  New  Jerseymen,  Cape  Codders  and  Michiganders,  if  you 
were  only  able  to  get  at  those  Sable  Island  cranberries,  their  size, 
color  and  abundance  would  make  your  fortunes. 

When  Jack  had  slung  the  two  bags  of  berries  over  Topsy's  back, 
they  started  on  their  gull-besieged  way  for  the  Maskomet. 

The  giant  received  his  twelve  ducks  for  two  pieces  of  gum ;  nor 
was  the  price  high,  seeing  that  gum  was  so  scarce  and  ducks  so 
plentiful  on  Sable  Island.  "I  vas  pusted  dose  men  vat  ead  dem 
ducks,  said  Jumps,  with  satisfaction  ;  "  und  you  vas  pusted  dem  poys 
ven  herselluf  vas  get  his  stummic  stuffed  mit  dem." 


....^...^Jk 


..---  "* 


^«#«^ 


GOING  TO  COURT 

ERE  boys,"  said  Captain 
Moline,  bustling  into  the 
cabin  of  the  Maskomet 
with  an  air  of  great  import- 
ance, *•  I  have  received  a 
message  from  the  king,  and 
you  are  summoned  to  ap- 
pear at  court  forthwith." 
And  from  a  rather  shabby 
looking  bit  of  writing  paper, 
he  read  as  follows : 

West  End  Falace, 

Sable  Island. 

Captain  Moline:  Send  the 
Melville  boys  under  escort  of 
patrol  to  the  palace  the  first 
fair  day. 

(Signed)    Dabby,  Rex. 

'•  We  will  start  to-mor- 
row morning  bright  and  ear- 
ly if  there  is  a  prospect  of 
a  fair  day,"  Moline  continued.     "  I  have  already  passed  the  word  by 

126 


126 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


1, 


patrol  up  to  the  midway  house,  and  as  you  will  get  dinner  there  you 
needn't  take  any  grub  with  you." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  wear,  Dick  ?"  Jack  asked  when  the  cap- 
tain left  the  cabin,  after  having  delivered  his  important  message. 
The  question  was  a  perplexing  one.  Their  wardrobe  had  not  kept 
pace  with  their  other  conveniences,  and  Jack  was  in  grim  humor 
when  he  sprung  his  problem.  By  dint  of  much  stitching  and  patch- 
ing they  had  managed  to  keep  their  garments  hanging  together,  but 
their  breeches  and  upper  wear  had  become  composite  affairs,  the 
additions  having  been  so  numerous  and  varied. 

"  There's  my  hair,  to  begin  with,"  Dick  replied,  entering  into  the 
spirit  of  Jack's  question,  "  it's  almost  long  enough  to  serve  for  a 
mantle.  Come  to  think  of  it,  I  shall  not  put  on  anything  extra  except 
a  little  of  Jumps'  hair  oil.  for  there  is  so  much  salt  in  a  fellow's  head 
it  makes  one  feel  as  if  he  had  been  soaking  his  head  in  the  salt-junk 
barrel." 

"  Hair  oil,"  Jack  broke  in,  "  have  you  got  any  hair  oil  ?" 
•   "Of  course—it's  in  that  black  junk-bottle  on  the  companionway 
shelf.     Jumps  brought  it  over  two  or  three  days  ago." 

"  Well— it  that's  it,  1  have  been  using  it  this  morning  to  grease 
my  shoes." 

'•  That's  ail  right, Jack — it  won't  hurt  your  shoes;  it  is  seal  oil, 
scented  with  a  little  oil  of  pennyroyal  that  Jumps  has  been  using  to 
keep  the  fleas  away." 

"  Scented! — I  guess  not  I  It  smells  like  an  old  cod  liver  that  has 
been  baking  in  the  sun  for  a  week.  You  didn't  put  any  of  it  on 
your  hair  ?" 

"  No,  but  I  guess  I'll  use  it  to-night,  the  smell  will  be  gone  by 
morning.  Must  have  something,  for  my  head  feels  like  a  wire  brush, 
my  hair  is  so  stiff."  Dick's  laugh,  however,  disproved  his  words,  for 
he  was  only  guying  his  brother.  Jumps'  hair  oil  might  do  for  the 
giant,  but  it  was  altogether  too  strong  for  boys,  and  Dick,  after  3mell- 
ing  it,  had,  as  he  thought,  put  it  out  of  sight,  where  it  would  continue 
to  ripen  without  hurting  the  giant's  feelings. 

"  Say,  Dick— we  must  get  ourselves  Into  some  shape  for  the  palace, 


^vr^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


127 


there  are  girls  up  there,  you  know  ;  and.  as  we  are,  we  are  enough 
to  frighten  a  crow.  In  the  wreckhouse  there  are  lots  of  old  duds  ; 
let's  go  over  there  and  see  if  we  can't  find  something  that  will  fit  us 
and  make  us  look  more  respectable."  .    ' 

"  Oh,  horrors.  Jack!  Those  are  dead  men's  garments — clothes 
taken  from  the  sailor-bags  and  sea-chests  of  men  who  never  got  to 
shore  alive.  I  should  feel  as  if  I  had  been  robbing  a  graveyard  were 
I  to  wear  any  of  those  clothes." 

"  Ugh  !  I  didn't  know  that.  But  what  shall  we  do  ? — the  life- 
men  haven't  got  anything  that  they  can  lend  us.  The  giant  is  the 
only  one  that  seems  to  have  an  extra  pea-jacket,  and  if  either  one  of 
us  were  to  borrow  that  we'd  look  worse  than  we  do  in  our  patches." 

"  Look  here.  Jack.  I've  got  a  scheme.     Let's  go  just  as  we  are." 

"H'm!  I  don't  see  anything  that's  very  sche my  about  that," 
Jack  interrupted,  with  some  disappointment. 

"  Wait  till  I  finish,  will  you?  We'll  go  just  as  we  are.  They  say 
that  the  king  has  lots  of  stuff  at  the  palace  end  of  the  island—  stuff 
sent  on  by  the  government  for  fitting  out  persons  who  have  been 
cast  upon  the  island  with  little  or  nothing  to  cover  them.  If  we  go 
looking  as  horrid  as  we  can,  perhaps  he  will  have  compassion  on  us. 
and  give  us  a  fit  that  will  carry  us  through  the  whole  winter." 

"  Yes,  1  see  ;  that's  a  first  class  scheme.  Old  Gray  Blanket  him- 
self wouldn't  mind  trying  that  on  if  he  had  the  chance." 

"  That  blanket  coat  of  his  made  a  fright  of  him  almost  as  much 
as  his  solemn  old  face  did,  but  he  wouldn't  want  to  get  rid  of  it  any 
more  than  he  would  of  his  face.  He  was  as  proud  of  that  ridiculous 
thing  as  old  Diogenes  was  of  his  old  tub.  And  that's  generally  the 
way  with  your  dreadfully  good  people — they're  prouder  of  their  cranky 
notions  than  sinners  are  of  their  fashions." 

"  Are  we  to  take  our  guns  along?" 

"Oh.  goodness,  no  !  It  would  be  as  foolish  as  lugging  a  stick  of 
timber  over  there." 

"  Of  course.  Bingo  will  go  with  us?" 

•'  Of  course  not !  If  he  were  to  go  from  this  end  of  the  island  for 
a  few  days,  the  men  would  feel  as  though  they  had  been  forsaken  of 


128 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


God.  And  I  don't  wonder  at  it,  either,  for  instead  of  going  about 
like  the  devil,  seeking  what  he  may  devour,  Bingo  goes  about,  day  in 
and  day  out,  hunting  for  a  chance  to  save  something  or  somebody. 
Our  Bony  is  a  pretty  good  fellow,  yet  he  has  to  be  watched  to  make 
him  do  just  right  all  the  time.  There's  a  big  difference  in  dogs  as 
well  as  people — Bingo  does  right  all  the  time  without  watching — the 
less  he's  watched,  the  better  he  does.  I'd  a  kingdom  rather  be  like 
Bingo  than  like  Bony." 

"  Say,  old  fellow,  if  you  can  get  any  good  clothes  at  the  palace, 
you  can  come  back  here  and  preach  to  the  men  on  Sundays,  it 
comes  out  of  you  as  easy  as  it  does  from  father  himself." 

"You  are  making  fun  of  me,  now,  though  you  know  I've  said  the 
truth,"  and  Dick  lowered  at  Jack  quite  savagely,  for  it  often  happens 
that  when  preachers  are  at  their  best  in  speech,  they  are  nearest 
their  worst  in  temper ;  the  finer  the  china,  the  more  easily  is  it 
broken.  '  . 

Jack's  reply  was:  '  Yes,  I  know  I'm  in  fun,  but  when  I'm  most 
in  fun,  you  know,  I'm  sometimes  most  in  earnest.  So  don't  spoil 
your  fine  feathers  by  ruffling  them  too  much." 

Before  the  men  wen  into  the  station  foY  supper,  they  boarded  the 
Maskomet,  and,  in  the  biggest  words  and  with  the  politest  manner 
they  could  muster,  congratulated  the  boys  on  being  summoned  to 
court.  Then  they  filed  out  of  the  cabin,  as  they  had  entered,  caps 
in  hand,  and  without  the  trace  of  a  smile  upon  their  bronzed  and 
bearded  faces. 

Dick  and  Jack  knew  that  Darby  was  the  governor  of  the  island, 
and  that  his  authority  was  absolute.  They  knew,  also,  that  the  men, 
while  respecting  his  authority,  sportively  revenged  themselves  under 
his  rule  by  speaking  of  him,  his  family  and  his  surroundings  in  the 
loftiest  terms  they  could  invent.  And,  furthermore,  the  boys  had 
learned  that  the  governor,  falling  in  with  the  humor  of  the  men.  con- 
tributed to  their  jollity  whenever  he  could  by  sustaining  the  mimicry 
of  royalty  to  the  best  of  his  ability ;  they  knew  that  the  summons,  so 
formally  presented  by  the  captain,  and  so  augustly  signed  by  Darby, 
Rex,  was  a  part  of  the   Sable   Island  comedy.     But  how  to  act — 


P 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


129 


: 


whether  In  jest  or  in  earnest — when  they  should  meet  the  chief,  was 
what  they  did  not  know. 

After  supper  was  cleared  at  the  station,  Jumps  lumbered 'into  the 
cabin  of  the  Maskomet  with  the  dignity  of  an  elephant.  The  inside  of 
his  Immense  pea-jacket,  being  the  best  part  of  the  garment,  was  worn 
outward.  To  make  himself  more  courtly  still,  to  the  rising  stars  ot 
the  Maskomet.  he  had  wound  the  voluminous  folds  of  a  clean  pillow 
case  around  his  neck,  and  formed  an  enormous  bow-knot,  which 
spread  its  wings  under  his  chin  like  the  wings  of  an  albatross.  Al- 
though Dick  and  Jack  almost  exploded  with  glee,  when  they  saw  how 
he  had  gotten  himself  up,  Jumps,  whose  face  usually  dimpled  as 
easily  as  a  child's,  maintained  the  solemnity  of  an  undertaker  who 
has  fat  funeral  fees  in  prospect. 

"  Now,  look  here,  you  old  impostor,"  said  Dick,  "  quit  your  non- 
sense, and  tell  us  what  we  must  do  when  ve  reach  the  palace  of  the 
king.  Shall  we  keep  up  this  tom-foolery,  and  call  the  governor  king, 
or  shall  we  drop  it,  and  call  the  king  governor?" 

"Achi  dot  vas  nein  dom-foolery,  put  dose  same  vat  she  do  ven 
he  vas  mlt  dot  emperor  In  mein  vaderland.  Ven  she  sees  dot 
Darby,  mein  poys,  vas  do  dis,"  and  Jumps  got  down  upon  his  pon- 
derous knees,  and  bent  his  upper  works  forward  till  they  almost 
reached  the  floor.  Taking  advantage  of  his  lowly  position.  Dick  and 
Jack  pounced  upon  him,  tipped  him  over,  sat  down  upon  his  ungainly 
carcass,  and  vowed  that  they  would  not  let  him  rise  until  he  was 
ready  to  act  like  a  sensible  giant.  Jumps  spread  himself  out  as 
comfortably  as  he  could,  and  continued  to  lie  there,  as  though  he 
were  a  log  of  wood.  The  boys  got  up  and  looked  down  at  him  in 
helplessness.  The  giant  rose  to  his  knees,  and  again  went  through 
his  pantomime  of  saluting  royalty,  after  which,  he  got  upon  his  feet, 
gravely  gave  the  boys  a  military  salute,  and  departed,  as  he  came, 
without  the  faintest  shadow  of  a  smile. 

"  I  wish  Old  Gray  Blanket  were  here,"  said  Jack,  "with  all  of 
his  end-of-the-world  horrors ;  he'd  frighten  some  of  this  nonsense 
out  of  the  men." 

"  Guess  not,"  Dick  replied,  emphatically.    "  Instead  of  frightening 


i!;  »-• 


130 


DICK  AND  JACK  S  ADVENTURES 


them,  he'd  make  them  worse  than  they  are  now;  they'd  hoist  Gray 
upon  the  head  of  a  hogshead,  and  make  him  believe  that  he  carried 
the  twelve  apostles  in  the  pockets  of  his  old  blankety  coat." 

At  sunrise  the  next  morning,  the  day  being  still  and  clear,  Captain 
Moline  rode  alongside  the  Maskomet  on  his  black  stallion,  and 
shouted  :  "  Ship  ahoy,  there  !  Its  time  we  were  under  way  for  the 
palace."  Whilst  he  was  waiting  for  a  response,  the  boys  havirg 
seen  him  coming,  had  mounted  their  ponies  in  the  hold,  and  drove 
out  of  the  side  of  the  Maskomet,  and  were  upon  him  before  he  had 
any  suspicion  of  their  presence. 

"  Hello,  captain  !     How  did  you  get  here  ?"  said  Jack. 

"  Get  here  !     Why,  what  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  We  were  off  Japan  when  I  went  to  sleep  last  night,  and  didn't 
expect  to  see  your  gig  rowing  along  our  quarter  in  such  distant  waters. 
1  told  Dick  that  if  he  headed  the  Maskomet  Japan-way  we  couldn't 
get  back  in  time  for  the  trip  to  the  palace.  But  instead  of  worrying 
about  that,  he  not  only  put  on  all  sail,  but  clapped  on  a  double  pair 
of  side-wheels,  and  a  propeller  under  the  stern  besides,  and  headed 
plum  for  Kamchatka,  saying  it  didn't  mtUter  where  we  went,  we 
could't  get  rid  of  your  hail  in  the  morning." 

"  Oh,  I  understand  ;  you  were  playing  Flying  Dutchman  again  last 
night.  But  you  had  better  get  down  to  business  now,  for  there  is  a 
long,  tedious  ride  before  you." 

As  they  started  off  on  a  gallop,  the  boys  saw  that  the  giant  and  the 
lifemen  were  marshalled  in  line  upon  the  upper  beach,  and  that  every 
man  had  his  gun  with  him.  There  was  a  swinging  of  caps,  a  boister- 
ous cheer,  and  at  last,  a  detonating  volley  of  firearms,  which  so 
startled  Topsy  and  Turvy  and  the  captain's  pony,  that  they  downed 
heads  and  plunged  away  with  a  speed  that  made  their  riders  pay  more 
attention  to  what  was  before  them  than  to  what  was  behind. 

The  hard,  wet  beach-line  was  taken  for  the  journey,  and  the  cap- 
tain, having  business  at  the  half-way  house,  was  to  be  their  compan- 
ion for  that  twelve-mile  distance.  Every  now  and  then  they  sighted 
dark  patches  on  the  beach,  which,  on  being  approached,  resolved 
themselves  into  thousands  of  seals  sunning  and  disporting  themselves 


^ 


P^p?^w;55«w5r- 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


131 


y 


upon  the  sands.  When  the  sentinel  bulls  raised  the  warning  cry,  the 
whole  herd  broke  into  a  floundering,  grunting  stampede  for  the  surf, 
upon  the  top  of  which  they  floated  and  watched  till  the  intruders  were 
out  of  the  way. 

Nature  herself  was  in  a  jesting  mood  that  morning.  Up  the  island 
the  dunes  drifted  into  the  air  and  wavered  about  liKe  plumes  of  the 
purest  white.  The  western  end  of  the  lake  floated  reversed  in  mid- 
heaven,  yet  did  not  spill  a  drop  of  water.  The  buildings  of  the  West 
End  were  transformed  into  castles  in  the  air.  Herds  of  ponies 
scampered  abo  it  upon  the  heavenly  ceiling,  feet  upward,  with  all  the 
agility  of  household  flies.  Over  the  sea  a  full-rigged  ship  sailed 
bottom  upwards,  and  a  great  ocean  steamer,  trailing  a  long  black 
banner  of  smoke,  recklessly  imitated  her  example ;  and,  as  if  this 
were  not  bad  enough,  a  whale  appeared  between  them,  bobbing  up 
and  down  upon  aerial  waves  as  if  he  were  a  big  lone  flea  dancing  an 
accompaniment  to  his  solitary  thoughts.  But  what  astonished  Dick 
and  Jack  more  than  anything  else,  was  a  gigantic  horseman  making 
galloping  leaps  through  space  with  the  same  disregard  of  all  the  laws 
of  gravitation. 

"  Well,  I  vum  !"  Jack  exclaimed,  with  an  outburst  of  soft-drink 
profanity,  "  this  beats  the  very  deuce.  Is  this  the  way  the  king  man- 
ages things  at  this  end  of  the  island  ?  1  have  read  about  haunted 
castles  and  enchanted  islands,  but  this  takes  the  cake  from  all  of 
them.  If  Darby,  Rex,  turns  us  bottom-upward  in  this  style  the 
angels  will  see  more  patches  than  they  ever  saw  before." 

"  Or  behind,  either,"  Dick  suggested,  "  if  they  are  magnified  as 
those  ihings  are  magnified.  How  often  do  you  have  that  kind  of  a 
panorama,  captain  ?" 

"  Sometimes  two  or  three  times  a  year,  and  then  again  there'll  be 
a  year  pass  before  they  show  again.  It  all  depends  upon  the  humor 
the  king  happens  to  be  In." 

.  "  We  have  seen  something  like  this  at  Black  Point,  but  not  on  so 
large  a  scale,  and  1  guess  your  king  didn't  have  much  to  do  with  it 
there,"  said  Dick.  "  Father  says  that  in  certain  conditions  of  the 
atmosphere  the  air  becomes  like  a  still  pond.  In  which  the  trees  on 


^^p^"^" 


132 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


11 


li 


the  shore  show  bottom-upward,  and  he  says  that  the  enlargement  of 
objects  is  due  to  the  hazy  condition  of  the  air." 

*•  Well,  you  had  better  not  make  any  such  explanation  to  the  king ; 
it  might  make  him  jealous."  said  the  captain,  gravely. 

At  the  half-way  house,  a  small  frame  structure,  occupied  by  six 
men,  who  were  included  m  Captain  Moline's  staff,  they  stopped  for 
rest  and  dinner.  The  men.  who  were  of  the  same  rough  and  ready 
character  as  those  belonging  to  the  East  End.  immediately  on  the 
arrival  of  the  boys,  crowded  around  them  and  beset  them  with  ques- 
tions about  their  involuntary  voyage  to  the  island. 

Their  cook,  a  colored  man,  who  was  formerly  a  slave  in  South 
Carolina,  and  whose  -face  was  an  ivory  black,  out  of  which  the  whites 
of  his  eyes  and  teeth  flashed  with  painful  brightness,  said  to  the 
boys:  "  Yo*  mos'  done  popped  inter  Paradise,  when  yo'  run  ashore 
on  Sable  Islan'." 

"  Paradise!"  Dick  exclaimed.  "  If  you  had  said  Purgatory,  you 
would  have  hit  next  door  to  the  mark." 

"  I  haint  nebber  knowd  nuffin  about  Puggertory,  cos  dere  haint  no 
sech  place ;  but  I  done  knowd  about  dis  yere  place,  cos  I'm  right  in 
it.  an'  dat's  sutt'nly  so."  And,  with  great  earnestness,  he  went  on 
to  speak  of  the  abundance  of  ducks  and  cranberries,  and  other  re- 
sources and  peculiarities  of  the  island.  And  he  declared,  that  so 
long  as  the  government  gave  him  his  clothes  and  other  necessaries, 
and  a  little  money  besides — money  that  he  couldn't  spend — and  didn't 
bother  him  with  questions  about  his  business,  he  would  a  "  heap 
sight "  rather  live  on  Sable  Island,  than  to  live  among  the  barbarians 
of  the  mainland,  where  he'd  be  called  nothing  but  a  "  nigger,"  and 
be  treated  as  if  he  had  no  more  soul  than  a  lobster  or  a  clam.  He 
had  never  been  called  a  "nigger"  on  Sable  Island  but  once,  and 
then  the  offender's  face,  having  come  in  contact  with  his  black 
hands,  became  so  nearly  the  color  of  his  own  face,  that  ever  since 
then  such  words  as  "  darky  "  and  "  nigger  "  had  been  left  out  of  the 
Sable  Island  dictionary.  He  didn't  object  to  being  called  a  negro 
any  more  than  an  Irishman  should  object  to  being  called  an  Irish- 
man, for  negro  simply  meant  that  when  God  made  up  his  bundles  of 


Jj 
^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


133 


o 


humanity,  He,  for  variety's  sake,  wrapped  some  of  them  In  black 
paper.  In  fine,  Crapo,  the  colored  cook  of  the  half-way  house  of 
Sable  Island,  came  perilously  near  saying  that  he  was  "  God's  Image 
cut  in  ebony."  To  Dick  and  Jack's  astonishment,  the  men  listened 
to  him  without  dissent  or  ridicule.  Had  the  men  become  Insensible 
to  the  ridiculous,  or  had  they  unconsciously  absorbed  the  sublimity 
of  Burns'  sentiment  ?  .  . 


For  a'  that,  and  a'  that 
Our  toil's  obscure,  and  a'  that. 
The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gowd  for  a'  that. 


Crapo  presently  turned  from  himself  and  his  race,  and  began  to 
talk  about  the  boys'  visit  to  the  palace.  "The  king's  darters,"  he 
said,  without  a  smile,"  am  the  beauties  of  Sable  Islan';  their  cheeks 
am  like  garding  pinks,  their  teef  like  lilies  of  the  valley,  their  eyes 
like  blue-bells,  an"  they  wear  gownds  dat  will  hurt  yo*  eyes.  Yo'll 
have  a  dreff'l  pow'ful  time  to  not  look  at  'em,  seein'  as  how  they 
am  gals  an'  yo'  is  boys,  yet  ef  yo'  looks  at  'em,  the  king' 11  cut  yo' 
heads  smack  off'n  yo'  shoulders." 

"  I've  been  in  the  Cannibal  Islands,"  remarked  an  English  sailor, 
"  han'  hits  my  hopinyun  that  them  king's  darters  '11  eat  them  boys 
for  supper,  seein'  as  'ow  boy's  meat  is  so  scurse  hon  Sable  Island. 
But  their  trowsers  an'  shirts  won't  be  wasted;  the  queen  '11  save 
them  rigs  to  send  fur  to  give  to  the  heathen  on  the  mainland,  fur 
she  keeps  her  pockets  full  o'  mission  sercieties." 

"  Yes."  said  the  youngest  man  of  the  crew,  "  she's  a  regular  mis- 
sionary herself,  and  comes  down  here  two  or  three  times  a  year 
a-huntlng  for  our  sins,  and  when  she  can't  find  any  among  us, 
she  turns  around  and  tells  us  how  many  she  keeps  at  the 
palace  for  her  own  private  use.  It's  my  opinion,  from  what  she 
tells  about  herself,  that  she  isn't  above  eating  boy's  meat  her- 
self, providing  it's  baked  with  onions   and   served  with   cranberry 


sauce. 


M 


-fp-* 


134 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


In 


"  But  the  king  won't  allow  of  any  such  goings  on  onless  he  knows 
it,  and  has  a  chance  at  it  hisself,  '  said  a  third  lifeman. 

"  Ye' 11  be  the  de'il's  ain  bairns,  gin  ye  keep  this  gait  ony  longer !" 
exclaimed  a  Scot,  whose  protesting  face  betokened  the  sincerity  of 
his  reproof.  "  Are  ye  no  afraid  o'  the  lake  that  burneth  wi'  fire  an' 
breemstone,  where  leears  have  their  portion  forever  an'  ever?"  The 
Caledonian  not  only  objected  to  the  playing  of  mice,  but  he  was 
equally  averse  to  the  capers  of  kittens  in  his  severely  grave  catty 
.presence.  Only  two  big  words  can  express  the  truth  about  him — he 
was  constitutionally  and  conscientiously  grave — as  grave  as  the  man 
who  preached  from  his  coffin.  The  whole  king  business,  to  which  the 
men  clung  with  an  obstinate  love  of  mirth,  was  such  a  thorn  in  his 
side,  that  he  once  went  to  the  governor  and  solemnly  protested 
against  the  men  being  countenanced  in  their  merry-making  by  the 
example  of  their  chief.  He  said  it  was  rank  disrespect  for  real 
royalty,  and  bordered  on  high  treason  against  the  English  govern- 
ment. 

Right  in  the  face  of  the  Scot's  lurid  rebuke  of  the  chaffing  men, 
Captain  Moline  said:  "  Well,  boys,  it's  time  for  you  to  be  on  the 
move  again,  and  as  I  don't  dare  to  go  any  nearer  to  royalty  than  the 
half-way  house,  I'll  put  you  in  charge  of  Sangster,  who  will  escort 
you  to  the  next  patrol,  three  miles  ahead."  "»        *  .^ 

"  Yes,"  observed  Sangster,  who  was  the  English  sailor,  "  I'll  see 
that  the  gull-savages  don't  get  a  chance  to  pick  the  meat  from  their 
bones  while  they're  hin  my  charge." 

As  a  cold  north  wind  had  sprung  up,  the  boys  put  on  their  oil- 
suits,  which  they  had  brought  along  with  them  for  emergencies. 
The  next  relay  was  a  Nova  Scotian  Frenchman,  who  had  no  sooner 
been  introduced,  than,  at  a  wink  from  the  Englishman,  he  informed 
the  boys  that  the  king  and  his  family  were  in  the  tower  of  the  palace 
watching  for  their  approach  through  a  spyglass.  They  had  some 
dangers  to  pass  yet,  but  he  would  prevent  the  seals  from  carrying 
them  out  to  sea,  and  guard  them  against  being  carried  am.ong  the 
dunes  by  the  wild  ponies,  or  to  the  lake  by  any  of  the  flocks  of  ducks 
that  were  constantly  coming  and  going. 


■  \:--f'-^p 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


135 


At  the  last  relay,  a  stocky  man,  bearded  like  a  Russian, 
and  wearing  an  old  navy  cap,  a  red  shirt,  and  blue  trowsers. 
with  stripes  down  the  side,  tucked  into  heavy  top-boots,  drove 
toward  them  on  a  shaggy  black  and  gray  pony,  which  was 
hardly  high  enough  to  keep  his  rider's  feet  from  dragging  in 
the  sand. 

"  It  ees  the  king,"  said  the  Frenchman,  while  the  rider  was  yet  at 
a  distance. 

•'What  tongue  does  he  speak  ?"  Dick  asked,  wondering  what 
lingo  would  turn  up  next,  for  as  yet  he  had  not  been  informed  that 
the  life-crews  were  furnished  from  as  many  different  nationalities  as 
possible,  in  order  that  they  might  have  the  means  of  communicating 
with  the  numerous  nationalities  represented  in  the  wrecks  of  the 
island. 

"  Inglese,  Spanish,  Portuguese  and  Danish,"  the  Frenchman  re- 
plied, grinning  with  satisfaction  at  the  perplexity  shown  by  the  boys 
as  he  enumerated  the  list. 

By  this  time  the  king  was  upon  them,  and  having  rolled  from  his 
pony  like  a  bag  of  potatoes,  he  greeted  the  boys  with  extended  hand 
and  smiling  face,  saying  with  a  bluff,  sonorous  voice  :  "My  name 
is  Darby,  at  your  service,  and  I  suppose  that  the  lads  down  yonder, 
and  along  the  beach,  have  by  this  time  told  you  all  about  the  king  of 
Sable  Island.  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  But  why  haven't  you  re- 
ported yourselves  before  ?  We  have  looked  for  you  every  pleasant 
day  since  we  heard  of  your  arrival.  I  got  out  of  patience  with  you. 
and  finally  concluded  that  a  summons  from  Rex  would  fetch  you,  if 
nothing  else  would. 

Dick  and  Jack  were  immediately  at  home  with  the  bluff  chief  of 
the  service,  and  by  way  of  excuse  for  not  venturing  on  the  journey 
before,  Dick  said  :  "We'll  pull  off  our  oil-suits  and  then  you  can 
judge  for  yourself  why  we  haven't  ventured  into  the  presence  of 
royalty  and  girls  until  summoned." 

The  boys  turned  round  and  round  before  Darby,  displaying  all  the 
patches  they  carried  upon  their  bodies.     And  Dick  added:    "  But  if 


136 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


we  had  known  that  you  wore  five  patches  on  your  own  clothes  we 
might  have  come  earlier." 

"  Five,"  repeated  Darby,  laughing  heartily.  "  just  count  again  and 
see  how  much  you  are  out  of  the  way,"  and  he  turned  himself  about 
to  enable  the  boys  to  scan  him  thoroughly, 

"  Nine,  as  I  live  I"  exclaimed  Dick,  "  and  that's  enough  to  make 
a  ragamuffin  feel  at  home  with  you,  though  going  into  your  family 
might  put  him  on  pins." 

"  Oh,  all  are  friends  of  patches,  though  we  keep  a  few  unpatched 
clothes  that  we  hang  out  in  the  sun  and  the  wind  once  in  a  while, 
just  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  you  know." 

The  palace  was  a  long,  low.  red  building,  which  the  wind  was  try- 
ing to  turn  into  a  dune  by  piling  the  sand  against  one  end  of  it  after 
the  fashion  of  a  snowdrift.  The  life  station  was  close  by,  together 
with  the  usual  small  outbuildings. 

"  Now  turn  your  ponies  loose,"  said  Darby,  as  soon  as  they  had 
dismounted,  "  and  let  them  shift  for  themselves." 

"  But  won't  they  start  for  home  ?"  asked  Jack. 

"  No ;  they're  like  dogs,  they  stay  where  their  masters 
stay." 

The  queen  and  her  three  daughters  came  down  the  slope  to  greet 
the  visitors,  and  all  were  bare-headed.  Mrs.  Darby,  a  light-haired 
woman,  with  a  refined  face  and  a  very  thin  frame,  wore  a  straight- 
up-and-down  blue  calico  dress,  which  hung  about  her  as  it  would 
have  hung  on  a  broomstick.  The  girls  ranged  in  age  from  eight  to 
fourteen.  Their  thick  hair  was  lighter  than  their  mother's,  and 
showed  that  it  kept  up  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  all  kinds  of 
weather.  Their  eyes  were  as  blue  as  the  sky,  their  faces  as  freckled 
as  gulls'  eggs,  their  forms  as  round  as  dumplings,  they  looked  as 
healthy  as  potatoes,  and  they  seemed  to  be  as  full  of  good  spirits  as 
the  untamed  ponies.  Their  short,  gray  woolen  dresses  were  cut  as 
straight  as  their  mother's  calico,  and  their  plump  legs,  encased  in 
stout,  white  woolen  stockings,  ended  in  unmistakable  cowhide  brogans. 
All  three  were  as  free  from  constraint  as  the  wind  itself,  and  they 


m^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


137 


welcomed  Dick  and  Jack  with  an  ease  that  was  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  seeing  that  they  were  accustomed  to  meeting  and  ministering  to 
people  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  ;.    -      .    ■ 

As  soon  as  the  greetings  were  over,  Darby  said:  "There,  now, 
count  their  patches  for  yourself." 

Patches  abounded  on  mother  and  daughters,  but  the  boys  were 
not  bold  enough  to  count  them. 


KMiaWMi 


mmwii 


i    1 


III 


.^■^, 


m\ 


■^^ 


:■'*  '■■ 


THREE  WOMENETTES 

HEN  vessels  ran  ashore  on 
Sable  Island  it  mattered 
little   how  valuable  their 
cargoes  were,  for  it  was 
seldom,  indeed,  that  any- 
thing could  be  saved  for 
either  owners  or  under- 
writers.    The    saving   of 
lives  was  of  such  supreme 
importance  that  prop- 
erty sank  into  absolute 
insignificance  in  com- 
parison.    When   the 
government    tender 
made   its    annual  at- 
tempt to  effect  a  land- 
ing on  the  island  for 
the  purpose  of  landing 
necessary  supplies  or 
removing  to  the  main- 

•.  _; land  such  as  had  been 

;-■■■■■_- — ^—      -:::::~  saved  from  the  waves. 

it  never  troubled  itself  about  cargoes,  or  what  was  left  of  them,  but 
got  the  wrecked  on  board  as  soon  as  possible  and  hastened  away  at 

139 


140 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


the  earliest  moment  from  the  perils  of  the  deadly  coast.  Those, 
therefore,  who  lived  upon  the  island  were  at  perfect  liberty  to  use 
whatever  they  saw  fit  of  the  material  that  came  on  shore.  But  so 
indifferent  had  they  become  to  their  opportunities,  that  they  saw 
thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  property  beaten  to  fragments  by  the 
surf,  or  buried  in  the  sands  of  the  beaches,  without  giving  it  so  much 
as  a  second  thought.  Yet,  first  and  last,  the  storms  had  furnished 
them  with  the  chief  conveniences  and  comforts  of  their  surf-bound 
lives. 

The  governor's  house  was  built  almost  entirely  of  the  remains  of 
wrecked  vessels,  and  nearly  all  of  its  furniture  and  fixings  came  from 
the  jetsam  of  sea-washed  cargoes.  Having  his  wife  and  his  daugh- 
ters— the  three  womenettes,  as  he  fondly  called  them — with  him, 
Darby  was  in  the  habit  of  picking  up  whatever  he  thought  would 
minister  to  their  comfort  or  please  their  fancy,  and  hence  the  super- 
intendent's cottage  was  not  only  unique  as  a  building,  but  was  a  sort 
of  museum  as  well,  and  the  girls  were  proprietors  of  many  things  that 
would  have  excited  envy  on  the  mainland. 

As  yet  we  have  not  given  the  names  of  these  girls.  They  v  ere 
called  Alice,  Belva  and  Clarinda,  in  the  order  of  their  birth,  their 
mother  having  begun  the  naming  at  the  head  of  the  alphabet, 
though  she  could  not  have  thought  of  kieeping  on  until  she  had  ex- 
hausted all  the  letters.  If  a  boy  had  been  born  to  the  house,  she, 
doubtless,  would  have  ended  the  series  at  once  by  naming  him 
Zenophon,  for  four  is  a  healthy  number  with  which  to  close  up  a 
family  line. 

Dick  and  Jack  had  been  in  the  palace  but  a  short  time,  when 
Darby  said:  "Now,  lads,  while  the  womenettes  are  getting  supper, 
we'll  make  a  business  visit  to  the  house  of  refuge." 

On  the  way  to  this  place,  of  which  the  boys  had  heard  much, 
Jack,  said.  In  an  aside  to  Dick:  •*  I  guess  your  scheme  is  beginning 
to  work." 

Darby  overheard  him,  and  abruptly  asked  :    "  What  scheme  ?" 

Dick  laughingly  and  frankly  told  him  what  had  been  said  on  the 


■<  ^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


141 


icn 
a 


•^ 


1 


Maskomet  about  making  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  using  their  patches 
to  secure  the  sympathy  and  favor  of  the  king. 

"  Conspiracies  of  that  kind  don't  amount  to  high  treason  in  such 
a  kingdom  as  this,"  said  Darby,  greatly  tickled  at  Dick's  ingenuous 
confession. 

When  they  entered  the  refuge,  he  said :  "  Now,  tall  me  what  you 
think  of  this  for  a  Sable  Island  establishment." 

The  refuge  was  constructed  for  the  use  of  the  shipwrecked ;  it  had 
bunks  along  the  walls,  and  was  furnished  with  two  large  stoves. 
Here,  also,  were  kept  such  stores  as  the  government  tender  suc- 
ceeded in  landing,  and,  besides,  there  was  a  miscellaneous  collection 
of  wrecked  material,  some  of  which  had  been  stored  so  long  that  it 
was  ready  to  drop  in  pieces. 

After  glancing  around  the  premises  with  wonder,  Dick,  in  reply  to 
Darby's  question,  said :  "  It  looks  as  if  somebody  had  started  in 
business  here  with  such  poor  success  that  he  fled  the  place  to  save 
himself  from  the  general  ruin.  But  it  would  be  hard  to  tell  what 
kind  of  business  was  uppermost  in  his  mind,  whether  it  was  a  hotel 
or  a  shop,  or  a  second-hand  store  or  a  museum." 

"  You  have  about  hit  it,"  laughed  the  king,  "  but  I  think  that  there 
is  some  stuff  here  that  you  and  your  brother  will  be  glad  to  get." 
and  he  began  to  pull  from  a  shelf  a  varied  assortment  of  new  cloth- 
ing, which  the  tender  had  brought  for  the  benefit  of  destitute  wrecked 
people,  and  for  the  lifemen,  as  well. 

"  These  things  may  not  be  just  a  fit  for  you,"  he  went  on,  "  but 
they  are  just  the  thing  for  comfort,  and  that's  what  we  care  most 
about  in  making  up  our  rigs  for  this  place,  you  know.  You'll  be  on 
the  island  all  winter,  and,  while  you  are  about  it,  you'd  better 
lay  in  all  you  will  need  to  keep  you  going  till  you  are  ready  to 
leave  us." 

"  But,"  said  Jack,  forgetting  that  these  were  government  supplies, 
"  we  haven't  any  money  to  pay  for  these  things." 

"Money,"  laughed  the  governor,  boisterously,  "  what's  the  good 
of  money  on  Sable  Island?  If  you  had  a  million  pounds  here,  what 
could  you  do  with  it  ?    And  I'm  glad  there's  one  place  in  the  world 


wmm 


142 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


where  you  don't  have  to  keep  grabbing  for  the  infernal  stuff,  or  cut- 
ting your  fellow  beings'  throats,  in  one  shape  or  another,  for  the  sake 
of  being  counted  rich,  and  making  a  show  that's  bigger  than  some- 
body else's  show.  You  can  cram  your  hand  down  Into  your  pockets 
as  deeply  as  you  please  here,  and  not  feel  a  bit  ashamed  because 
there  is  nothing  at  the  bottom. 

"The  king  knew  that  you  didn't  come  ashore  with  a  furnishing 
store  in  tow,  and  he  ordered  you  up  here,  not  only  for  the  sake  of 
getting  a  sight  of  boys  once  more,  but  also  for  the  sake  of  seeing 
that  no  Sable  Island  boys  suffer  for  the  want  of  the  things  that  should 
stand  between  their  skins  and  the  weather."  ^ 

And,  seeing  that  they  were  still  diffident  about  making  selections, 
he  went  to  work  himself  and  laid  out  two  sets  of  caps  for  each,  one 
for  ordinary  weather  wear  and  one  for  the  winter,  when  the  ears  had 
to  be  covered ;  there  were  also  mufflers  to  match  the  winter  caps. 
He  also  furnished  them  with  cardigans  and  flannels,  trousers  and 
underwear,  a  dozen  pairs  of  socks  each  and  two  pairs  of  boots  each, 
and  mittens  and  handkerchiefs  besides. 

The  boys  looked  on  the  heap  selected  for  them  with  such  comical 
perplexity,  the  governor  said  :  "  You  see,  it's  this  way ;  when  winter 
comes,  you  might  as  well  be  in  Jericho  as  to  be  at  the  other  end  of 
the  island  so  far  as  communication  is  concerned,  so  I  am  only  mak- 
ing sure  that  you  get  your  supplies  now,  when  you  can  carry  them 
back  on  your  ponies.  The  clothes  I  have  chosen  for  Jack,  though 
designed  for  a  boy,  will  be  found  a  bit  large  for  him,  but  the  women- 
ettes  will  be  able  to  reef  them  down,  so  that  they  will  manage  to 
keep  in  touch  with  him.  As  for  the  boots,  as  soon  as  the  weather 
becomes  cold,  he  will  need  two  or  three  pairs  of  stockings  on  at  the 
same  time,  so  't's  well  they  are  as  large  as  they  are,  and  your  own 
have  plenty  of  room  in  them  for  the  same  reason.  But  even  all  this 
will  not  keep  you  warm  enough  for  outdoor  venture  unless  you  have 
overcoats  to  stand  in  when  the  northers  are  cutting  up  their  capers 
about  the  island.  Now.  I'll  let  you  into  a  secret— the  secret  of  a 
conspiracy  that's  plotted  down  there  at  the  midway  station-  they 
have  a  lot  of  sealskins  down  there,  and  an  Irishman,  who  is  the 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


143 


coatmaker  of  the  ioiand.  has  been  making  a  coat  for  each  of  you, 
and  will  have  them  ready  for  you  on  your  return.  With  those  coats 
on,  you  can  stand  anything  in  the  shape  of  cold  weather.  How  did 
he  get  your  measures?  Oh,  he  got  them  by  sending  word  to 
Jumps,  who  managed  to  get  somewhere  near  your  size  without  let- 
ting you  know  anything  about  it.  I  give  the  secret  away,  because 
they  were  not  going  to  let  the  king  know  anything  about  it  till  you 
were  in  possession  of  the  coats,  and  I  want  them  to  know  that  they 
can't  keep  their  conspiracies  from  Darby,  Rex. 

•'  And.  by  the  way,  as  we  shall  be  in  full  evening  dress  for  supper, 
suppose  you  try  some  of  those  clothes  on  here  now.  and  see  how 
near  they  fit.  You'll  find  short  sailor  jackets  on  that  lower  shelf, 
with  black  neck-handkerchiefs  to  match,  and  while  you  are  dressing, 
I'll  go  down  to  the  station  to  leave  some  orders,  and  will  call  for  you 
when  I  come  back." 

Being  so  tall,  the  boys  found  little  difficulty  in  making  themselves 
quite  contented  with  the  fit  of  their  garments ;  there  was  not  as 
much  waste  space  In  them  as  Darby  feared.  They  put  on  their 
boots  with  their  trousers  outside,  "gentleman  fashion,"  as  Jack 
said,  and,  when,  for  want  of  a  looking  glass,  they  scanned  each 
other,  their  judgment  was — though  they  didn't  just  know  what  was 
meant  by  '  evening  dress  " — that  their  evening  dress  would  be  good 
enough  for  the  king's  supper  table.  And  this  was  the  judgment  of 
Darby  himself,  when,  a  few  moments  later,  he  dropped  in  to  see  how 
the  boys  fared  In  their  new  rigs.  .  " 

"Capital!"  he  exclaimed;  "our  court  party  will  be  a  brilliant 
success.  We'll  make  proclamation  that  you  have  Imported  the 
latest  fashions,  and  that  will  make  the  thing  go  whatever  else  may 
be  wanting.  We  couldn't  cut  much  of  a  figure  without  clothes,  could 
we  ?  It's  a  good  thing  that  Adam  and  Eve  were  not  created  on 
Sable  Island  ;  there  Isn't  so  much  as  a  bush  they  could  have  skulked 
into,  much  less  leaves  big  enough  to  answer  for  petticoats  and 
breeches.  If  Cain  had  been  born  here,  his  vegetables  would  have 
made  a  poorer  showing  than  they  did  on  the  land  he  had.  and  with 
only  seals,  ponies,  and  such  wil    fowl  as  we  have  here.  Abel  himself 


i  i 


144 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


might  have  been  at  a  loss  for  sacrifices.  But  come  to  think  of  it. 
these  mutual  disadvantages  might  have  been  to  their  mutual  advan- 
tage ;  there  would  have  been  less  cause  for  jealousy,  that's  clear, 
and  Abel  might  have  lived,  and  then  Cain  wouldn't  have  been  obliged 
to  go  to  the  land  of  Nod  and  set  so  many  people  to  asking  where  he 
got  his  wife." 

At  this  moment  a  long,  shrill  whistle  was  heard,  and  the  king  sud- 
denly changed  the  subject,  by  saying :  "There's  the  womenettes 
whistling  for  the  king  to  go  with  them  to  the  milking." 

"  Miking!"  exclaimed  Dick;  "why.  I  have  been  told  that  cows 
couldn't  live  on  Sable  Island." 

"  Well,  you  can  come  with  me  to  the  milking  and  see  for  your- 
selves." 

It  was  Alice  who  was  whistling  for  her  father,  and  with  as  much 
success  as  if  she  had  a  pair  of  boy's  lips.  By  her  side  stood  Bell 
and  Clari.  Dick  and  Jack  walked  up  the  slope  toward  them  a  little 
sheepishly,  for  their  new  garments  made  them  just  a  bit  self-consci- 
cus,  and  self-consciousness  is  the  millstone  to  the  neck  of  ease. 

"  There  1"  exclaimed  Clari.  in  her  blurting  innocence,  speaking  to 
her  sisters.  "  didn't  I  tell  you  that  they'd  look  like  young  gentlemen  as 
soon  as  they  got  into  better  clothes." 

"  Clarinda  Darby."  cried  Bell,  blushing  very  red  through  her 
freckles;  I  didn't  say  that  they  didn't  look  like  your~  g-^ntlemen  in 
their  patches  ;  I  said  it  was  a  pity  that  such  good-looking  boys  ever 
had  to  wear  patches."  And  then,  suddenly  discovering  that  she  had 
made  an  unnecessary  confession,  she  blushed  worse  than  ever,  but 
recovered  quickly  when  she  found  what  a  merry  time  they  were  hav- 
ing together. 

"  So  the  patch  question  has  been  up  among  the  girls,  too.  has  it  ?^ 
There,  boys,  just  look  at  them.  It  will  take  considerable  addition, 
and  multiplication,  too.  to  sum  up  their  patches,  won't  it?"  And 
Rex  whirled  Clari  round  like  a  top  so  as  to  display  her  patches  to 
the  best  advantage.  Escaping  from  him,  she  ran  like  a  deer  In  the 
direction  of  the  dunes,  whither  the  rest  of  the  party  followed  at  a 
more  leisurely  pace. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


145 


her 

;n  in 

ever 

;  had 

.  but    : 

hav- 

LS  it  ?' 

"ition. 

And 

\es  to 

In  the 

at  a 


Presently  she  was  heard  whistling  in  a  peculiarly  cooing  way,  and  a 
moment  after,  five  mares,  accompanied  by  Topsy  and  Turvy,  were 
found  around  her,  pressing  quite  close  upon  her  in  order  to  share  her 
caresses.  As  soon  as  the  boys'  ponies  discovered  their  masters. 
they  came  up  to  them  and  began  to  smell  them  from  head  to  feet, 
as  if  the  new  clothes  made  them  doubtful  of  their  identity. 

Meanwhile  Darby  and  his  daughters,  bending  low  to  the  sand, 
began  to  milk  the  mares  which  had  answered  to  Clari's  accustomed 
call. 

Dick  and  and  Jack  were  breathless  with  astonishment,  and  both 
Topsy  and  Turvy  left  them,  and  went  up  to  where  their  relatives 
stood  so  contentedly,  and,  after  surveying  the  milking  process  for  a 
few  seconds,  snorted  their  contempt  and  galloped  away  among  the 
dunes  as  if  afraid  they.  too.  might  be  subjected  to  the  indignity  of 
the  operation. 

"Heavens  and  earth,  governor !  What  are  you  doing?"  Dick 
exclaimed,  blankly,  as  soon  as  he  recovered  his  voice. 

"  Milking  our  cows.  Can't  you  see  what  we  are  doing  ?"  the  king 
replied,  chuckling  deeply. 

"  But  you  don't  drink  that  stuff!"'  and  Jack  fairly  spat  the  words 
out  of  his  mouth  with  the  disgust  he  experienced. 

The  girls  began  to  giggle,  and  the  mares  they  were  milking 
turned  their  heads  and  looked  a  mild  protest  against  their  un- 
timely levity. 

'•  Why  not,  pray  ?"  asked  the  king.  "Isn't  it  as  white  as  any 
milk  you  ever  saw?  Don't  the  Swiss  milk  their  goats?  And  don't 
the  Tartars  almost  live  on  the  milk  of  their  mares,  and  make  kou- 
miss of  it  for  their  invalids?  And  do  you  suppose  that  we  are  less 
civilized  than  they,  because  we  happen  to  live  on  Sable  Island? 
Look  at  these  mares  ?  Are  they  not  as  civilized  as  any  cows  you 
ever  saw  ?" 

And  then  he  went  on  to  tell  them  that,  having  read  of  the  Tartar 
mares  and  their  milk,  he  began  to  make  experiments  with  the  Sable 
Island  mares,  and  with  such  success,  that  his  family  had  come  to 
the  conviction  that  they  had  a  mare's  nest  worth  having.     But  do 


!~r- 


i! 


•i! 


¥ 

1 

i:  ;| 

il  I 


i1 


1  H 


146 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


his  best,  he  couldn't  persuade  the  lifemen  to  go  into  the  business 
of  utilizing  the  herds  for  milk  and  cream,  nor  would  they  touch  a 
drop  of  the  milk  when  any  of  them  took  a  meal  at  the  palace,  all 
of  which  he  regarded  as  a  flat  fling  at  the  face  of  Providence. 
They  didn't  hesitate  to  use  pony  flesh  for  fresh  beef,  and  he 
thought  that  In  eating  their  meat  and  refusing  their  milk,  the 
men  were  making  very  fine  distinctions  between  tweedle-de-dee 
and  tweedle-de-dum. 

"  You  eat  horse  meat,  too !"  Jack  exclaimed,  with  horror. 

"  Why.  of  course,"  said  Clarl,  "if  it's  properly  cooked.  If  we 
lived  on  ducks  all  the  time,  we'd  soon  begin  to  quack  and  grow 
feathers." 

"  By  gum!  I'd  as  soon  think  of  turning  cannibal,  as  to  think  of 
esting  any  of  these  ponies,"  protested  Jack,  vehemently. 

"  Circumstances  alter  cases,"  said  the  king,  laughing  at  Jack's 
earnestness,  "  but  it  doesn't  take  very  much  alteration  to  enable  one 
to  get  reconciled  to  mare's  milk  and  pony  meat,  especially  when  one 
has  a  good  appetite  and  good  common  sense." 

When  the  milking  was  done,  the  mares  went  to  feeding  on  the 
coarse,  tough  beach  grass  with  as  much  zeal  and  relish  as  though 
they  were  up  to  their  knees  in  clover  or  timothy. 

"  I  hear  that  Captain  Moline  has  made  you  captain  and  mate  of 
the  Maskomet  main-top,"  said  Darby,  as  they  turned  to  go  back  to 
the  palace;  "  perhaps  you  would  like  to  go  up  into  my  tower  and 
take  a  look  at  the  great  sea-serpent.  You'll  find  a  better  glass  up 
there  than  they  keep  at  the  other  end  of  the  island." 

By  '•  the  tower."  Darby  meant  a  lofty  spar  set  into  a  sand  knoll 
for  observation  purposes.  Cross  pieces  of  thick  planking  furnished 
the  means  of  ascent  to  the  crow's  nest,  which  was  made  of  an  im- 
mense brewer's  cask,  securely  fastened  at  the  top  of  the  spar.  The 
entrance  was  by  a  manhole  in  the  bottom  of  the  cask. 

Dick  ana  Jack  were  eager  for  the  ascent,  but  both  stopped  to  ask 
Darby  what  he  meant  by  the  sea-serpent.  First  and  last  they  had 
heard  a  great  deal  about  this  monster  of  the  ocean,  and  the  tales  to 
which  they  had  listened  were  so  improbable  and  contradictory  that 


mtm 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


147 


to  ask 
^ey  had 
tales  to 

)ry  that 


their  doubt  as  to  his  existence  was  much  stronger  than  their  faith. 
Now,  that  the  king  had  spoken  in  such  a  serious  way.  they  began  to 
think  that  one  had  got  stranded  on  the  island,  and  that  it  was  visible 
from  the  crow's  nest. 

"  Oh,  you'll  see  him  fast  enough  when  you  get  up  there,"  said 
Darby,  and  the  boys  started  off  in  a  hurry,  and  when  in  the  brewer's 
cask,  immediately  untelescoped  the  glass  and  began  to  hunt  for  the 
monster  along  the  beaches,  but  in  vain. 

"Pshaw!"  Dick  exclaimed,  at  last,  a  light  dawning  upon  him ; 
"  the  king  means  that  the  island  itself  is  the  great  sea-serpent — and 
a  good  name  it  is,  too,  for  such  a  ship-devouring  monster  as  the 
island  is.  Besides,  it  does  look  like  a  serpent  when  you  have  the 
whole  before  you  as  the  glass  presents  it.  It's  long,  narrow,  crooked 
and  tapering  at  both  ends,  and  the  black  bogs,  green  beach  grass, 
white  sand  and  hummocky  dunes,  spot  it  just  right  for  a  big  snake, 
while  that  fourteen-mile  lake  gives  a  glitter-line  along  the  greater 
py.rt  of  the  back.  The  white  lines  of  surf  on  both  sides  make  it  look 
as  if  the  whole  pesky  thing  were  forging  along  through  the  waves  at 
tremendous  rate.  Look  for  yourself,  Jack  —  and  the  more  you  think 
of  it  the  moie  the  island  will  look  like  the  old  father-snake  of  all  the 
serpent  tribes.  If  the  snake  that  tempted  Eve  was  born  in  such  a 
place  as  this,  I  don't  wonder  at  his  being  such  a  devil  of  a  fellow." 

"Oh,  don't  go  to  getting  wicked!"  exclaimed  jack,  more  than 
half  alarmed  at  Dick's  recklessness.  But  when  he  took  the  glass, 
and  allowed  his  own  quick  imagination  to  take  up  and  enlarge  upon 
the  simil  Titles  suggested  by  the  king's  description  of  the  general 
features  of  the  island,  as  presented  to  the  observer  from  the  king's 
tower,  a  creeping  sensation  took  possession  of  him.,  and  he  said  : 

"Well,  I'll  be  darned,  if  it  doesn't  make  a  fellow  feel  as  though 
he  were  making  a  trip  to  sea  on  the  back  of  that  old  serpent,  the 
devil." 

"  Oh,  don't  go  to  getting  wicked,"  Dick  remonstrated,  repeating 
Jack's  rebuke,  and  imitating  his  half-scared  manner  to  perfection. 

Whilst  Jack  was  trying  to  defend  himself  against  the  Imputations 
of  his  brother,  a  voice  from  below  hailed :   "  Masthead,  ahoy !    Sup- 


nr 


iiiTVHiii  liiig^B^ii 


i^jl 


■'      '-ii 


M,  t''  i 


)■  i.« 


"i   ■.;!    I 


148 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


per  is  waiting,  and  if  we  are  not  there  in  time  to  hear  the  king's 
grace,  we'll  lose  our  heads,  as  well  as  the  grace." 

"  Why,  that's  a  new  voice."  said  Dick,  and  then  answered  :  "  We 
are  coming." 

Meanwhile,  Jack  had  taken  a  peep  through  the  manhole  at  his 
feet,  and  as  he  went  down  on  his  first  step  for  the  descent,  he  said: 
"  Why,  Dick,  there's  a  fellow  down  there  who  looks  as  though  he  had 
just  jumped  out  of  a  band-box !" 

"  My  name  is  Donald  McDonald,  I  am  from  Aberdeen,  Scotland, 
and  I  hold  the  Queen's  commission  as  naval  surgeon  to  Sable 
Island,"  the  stranger  ran  on,  as  soon  as  the  boys  reached  the  bot- 
tom of  the  staff,  at  the  same  time  giving  them  a  grip  which  almost 
made  them  groan.  "  Was  out  when  you  arrived,  or  I  should  have 
paid  my  respects  before.  If  you  are  the  sons  of  the  American 
preacher  and  lecturer,  Melville,  whom  I  heard  lecture  in  Halifax 
some  years  ago,  it  may  give  you  some  satisfaction  to  know  that  I 
once  passed  a  very  pleasant  evening  with  him  in  that  city  at  the 
house  of  our  mutual  friend,  the  Hon.  Joseph  Howe." 

"We  are  his  sons,  fast  enough,"  said  Dick,  not  a  little  awed  by 
seeing  such  a  spic-span  specimen  of  a  man  on  Sable  Island,  and  a 
Scot  at  that,  whose  words  came  from  his  lips  with  as  mach  precision 
as  if  they  were  shot  directly  from  the  muzzle  of  a  big  dictionary. 

Dr.  McDonald  was  about  forty,  six  feet  in  height,  and  almost  as 
thin  as  a  lath.  His  face  was  cleanly  shaven,  but  his  gray  eyes  and 
high  forhead  loomed  forward  from  under  a  heavy  shock  of  crisply 
curly  sandy  hair.  For  a  wonder,  he  was  very  neatly  dressed  in  dark 
tweeds,  and  wore  a  dark  navy  cap  to  match. 

Jack  was  so  taKen  up  with  the  surgeon's  clothes,  that  the  Scot 
laughingly  said:  "  You  see,  lad,  that  I  am  the  only  man  on  Sable 
Island  who  goes  decently  clothed  seven  days  in  the  week,  and  the 
reason  is,  just  as  people  refuse  to  be  converted  by  ministers  who  do 
not  wear  pulpit  c'othes.  so  my  patients  refuse  to  be  cured  unless  I 
put  on  clothes  that  will  back  up  my  profession.  If  I  went  about  in 
patches,  the  men  would  lose  their  confidence  In  my  practice,  and 
that  would  be  losing  half  the  battle  before  it  was  begun.     You  think 


ipip 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


149 


it  as 
and 

risply 
dark 

Scot 
Jable 
the 
10  do 
less  1 
)Ut  in 
and 
think 


I  am  joking  ?  Well,  a  joke  is  the  frame  to  which  the  door  of  truth 
is  hinged.  But,  as  I  said,  when  I  called  you,  tea  is  waiting,  and  if 
we  are  not  at  the  table  when  the  time  comes  for  serving,  we'll  be 
ordered  out  for  execution.  I  suppose  that  you  will  think  that  this  is 
a  joke  also,  yet  you  are  sharp  enough  to  see  that  promptness  is  the 
door  that  is  hinged  to  it.  If  you  want  to  keep  on  the  good  side  of 
the  king,  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  time  and  its  appointments. 

"  Hurry,  boys!"  said  the  doctor,  as  they  entered  the  house,  "  I 
hear  them  putting  the  chairs  around  the  table,"  And  he  almost 
forced  them  to  run  across  the  kitchen,  and,  opening  the  door  to  the 
next  room,  literally  pushed  them  in  advance  of  himself  into  the  room 
that  served  for  sitting-room  and  dining-room. 

"  I  have  just  saved  them  by  the  skin  of  their  teeth,  may  it  please 
your  majesty,"  said  he,  without  the  shadow  of  a  smile. 

"  Yes.  by  the  bare  skin  of  their  teeth,"  responded  Darby.  Rex. 
grimly. 

Dick  and  Jack  looked  around  in  amazement.  Darby  sat  at  the 
nead  of  the  table  in  a  close-fitting  uniform  of  dark  blue,  and  he  had 
on  shirt,  collar  and  cuffs  of  blameless  whiteness  and  polish.  Mrs. 
Darby,  seated  opposite,  at  the  other  end  of  the  table,  was  gowned  in 
a  neatly  cut  black  silk  with  fine  lace  about  her  neck  and  fastened  at 
her  throat  by  a  brooch,  from  the  center  of  which  gleamed  an  unmis- 
takable diamond  of  no  small  value.  The  girls  were  also  dressed  in 
silks — for  silks  on  Sable  Island  were  not  scarce — silks  of  bright  and 
tasty  colors,  and  their  hair,  neatly  dressed  and  kept  back  by  bright 
silken  bands,  together  with  the  spotless  linen  collars  they  had  on.  so 
framed  their  healthy  faces  as  to  make  them  look  quite  comely. 

While  the  boys  were  trying  to  get  their  breath,  Darby  motioned 
Dick  to  the  empty  chair  at  his  right,  and  Jack  to  the  one  at  his  left, 
which  gave  Dick  Alice  for  his  left  hand  companion,  and  Bell  to  Jack 
for  his  mate,  while  the  doctor  took  his  seat  at  the  right  of  Mrs. 
Darby,  and  Clari  at  the  left  of  her  mother. 

When  all  were  seated,  Darby  bowed  his  head  and  said  a  long 
grace  that  was  as  well  chosen  in  its  words,  as  it  was  devout  in  its 
spirit. 


150 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


i! 


And  then,  the  table  was  as  much  of  a  surprise  as  the  garb  of  the 
family.  A  spotless  tablecloth,  with  an  ample  supply  of  fine  linen 
napery,  and  china  and  silver  to  match,  and  everything  arranged  with 
the  order  and  precision  of  a  clock  ready  to  begin  operations. 

"  Look  here,  boys."  said  the  king,  quite  gruffly,  when  they  began 
the  meal,  "  if  this  dress  party  is  going  to  make  you  feel  awkward-  - 
for  the  lads  were  both  embarrassed  and  silent—  we'll  turn  the  whole 
thing  back  into  patch-land  again.  The  womenettes  were  determined 
to  have  their  own  way  about  this  meal,  and  insisted  upon  making  this 
show  in  your  honor.  It  isn't  often  they  get  a  chance  to  celebrate 
anything,  and  wher.  they  do,  I  let  them  do  it,  for  it  keeps  us  all  from 
relapsing  into  barbarism,  you  know.  Even  the  doctor,  there,  always 
likes  to  have  us  return  once  in  awhile  to  mainland  style.  So  just  go 
ahead  as  if  we  had  our  patches  on  and  were  eating  out  of  tin  plates 
and  drinking  from  tin  cups." 

Jack  quickly  responded  to  this  forcible  breaking  of  the  ice,  and 
created  much  merriment  by  saying  to  Dick  across  the  table  :  "  Didn't 
I  tell  you  that  the  girls  would  look  quite  handsome  if  they  were  only 
decently  diessed  ?" 

"  Yes,"  Dick  replied;  and  after  a  pause  and  a  look  at  Alice,  he 
added,  mischievously,  imitating  her  own  words  and  tones  :  "  It's  a 
pity  that  such  good-looking  girls  should  ever  wear  patches." 

Darby  had  been  promoted  from  the  captaincy  of  a  revenue  cutter 
to  the  superintendence  of  the  island,  and  after  supper  was  cleared 
away  he  began  to  relate  experiences  about  chasing  Yankee  smugglers 
from  the  Nova  Scotian  coast. 

This  was  more  than  Jack  could  stand,  and  he  suddenly  broke  in 
with  a  graphic  and  amusing  account  of  the  escape  of  the  You  Bet 
and  the  part  that  Dick  and  he  took  in  piloting  her  out  of  the  clutches 
of  the  revenue  officers.  , 

"  You  young  rascals  !  And  you  dare  tell  this  in  the  presence  of  two 
of  Her  Majesty's  subjects  and  officers  !"  Darby  exclaimed,  with  well- 
simulated  wrath,  while  at  the  same  time  he  was  laughing  up  his 
sleeve,  and  the  surgeon  was  shaking  with  undisguised  mirth. 

When,  after  an  exceedingly  pleasant  evening,  the  boys  were  snugly 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


151 


in  bed.  Jack  suddenly  exclaimed  :  "  By  cracky,  Dick  !  What  do  you 
think  ?  Each  of  us  drank  two  glasses  of  milk  and  ate  a  steak  apiece 
at  that  confounded  supper!" 

"  Yes — well —what  is  there'that's  so  surprising  about  that."  Dick 
drawled  out,  sleepily. 

"  But  can't  you  see  ?" 

"No;  it's  too  dark  to  see  anything." 

"  Thunder  and  lightning,  Dick!  That  milk  was  mare's  milk,  and 
that  steak  was  pony  steak  !" 

"  By  jiminy.  no !"  and  Dick  sat  bolt  upright  to  think  it  over,  and 
being  quick  to  draw  conclusions,  he  added  :  "  Yes,  we  have  been 
drinking  mare's  milk  and  eating  pony  steak  for  a  certainty,  but  it's 
too  late  to  throw  them  up  now."     And  he  laid  down  and  fell  asleep. 


!,  he 
's  a 


I 


I 


jnugly 


-■  V 


meat 
made 


AMONG  THE  DUNES 

F  THEY  can  stand  it,  we  can." 
••  What  are  you  driving  at 
now,    Jack?"     asked    Dick, 
seeking  for   a   clew  to   his 
brother's  first  waking  words. 
"  That    milk    and    meat 
business ;  I  see  it  all  now ; 
they  just  kept  us  talking  so 
that  we  wouldn't  think  any- 
thing about  what  we  were 
eating  and  drinking.     Let's 
not  say  a  word  about 
it,  but  pitch  right  in 
as   if, we   had   been 
brought  up  on  mare's 
milk  and 
0  n    horse 
meat." 

And  that 
is  what 
they  did  at 
b  r  e  akfast 
when  milk 
and    fresh 

were  passed  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  as  no  comments  were 
upon  the  trial  of  their  appetite,  the  boys  felt  as  if  they  were  the 

153 


I 


154 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


fit 
I  III 

ill 


"I 


victors.  They  were  all  the  more  at  home  because  the  patches  of 
the  family  had  resumed  their  reign  and  the  surgeon  and  themselves 
were  again  conspicuous  for  their  unbroken  garments. 

Heretofore,  in  addressing  one  another,  the  girls  had  said  Master 
Dick  and  Master  Jack,  and  the  boys  had  said  Miss  Alice,  Miss  Bell, 
and  Miss  Clari,  with  most  exacting  formality.  But  during  a  conver- 
sation, in  which  the  girls  laid  plans  for  an  outing  among  the  dunes, 
Clari,  forgetting  herself,  addressed  Jack  without  putting  any  handle 
to  his  name,  and  this  produced  such  a  gale  of  laughter  among  them 
all  that  the  last  vestige  of  formality  was  blown  away,  and  thenceforth 
they  spoke  to  one  another  with  all  the  freedom  of  brothers  and 
sisters. 

"  Before  you  take  the  boys  among  the  dunes  you  must  let  them 
take  a  peep  into  my  room,"  said  the  surgeon,  as  they  rose  from  the 
table,  the  girls,  with  their  heads  full  of  their  plans,  and  the  boys  with 
theirs  over-running  with  anticipations  of  enjoyment. 

"  But  don't  let  him  dose  you  with  any  of  his  pills  and  potions," 
cautioned  the  king  ;  "  we  have  so  little  sickness  here  he  is  constantly 
on  the  watch  for  a.chance  to  doctor  somebody.  He  may  attempt  to 
make  you  believe  that  you  are  out  of  sorts  in  some  way,  and  get  a 
dose  into  you  before  you  are  aware  of  it.  Doctors  need  watching, 
you  know.  They  wear  microscopes  in  their  eyes  and  see  things  that 
nobody  else  would  dream  of  seeing  unless  they  were  asleep." 

"  If  he  gets  any  medicine  down  our  throats,  he'll  be  smarter  than 
anyone  we  have  ever  met  yet,"  said  Jack,  who  had  never  taken  a 
dose  of  medicine  in  his  life,  and  who,  like  his  brother  Dick,  had 
never  known  what  it  was  to  be  sick. 

"  Don't  mind  anything  his  majesty  says,  for  his  imagination  is  so 
vivid,  his  head  often  floats  him  from  the  ground,  and  if  he  were  not 
so  stout  and  heavy,  he  would  be  blown  away  with  the  clouds,"  said 
the  surgeon,  as  he  led  the  boys  away 

The  surgeon  had  an  end  room  on  the  ground  floor,  which  he  called 
his  dispensary,  and  when  the  boys  reached  it,  they  saw  that  it  was  a 
formidable  looking  affair,  with  its  numerous  bottles,  boxes  and  com- 
plete supply  of  surgical  instruments,  ranging  from  a  dental  outfit  up 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


155 


to  an  elaborate  set  of  amputating  tools.  And  there  were  enough 
medical  books  to  frighten  anyone  into  believing  that  he  had  all  the 
ills  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  that  is,  if  he  ever  had  the  leisure  to  meddle 
with  their  grim  pages  or  to  explore  their  blood-curdling  plates  and 
illustrations. 

At  the  threshold,  they  were  greeted  by  an  animated  ball  of  gray 
hair,  which  the  surgeon  addre^ed  as  Muff,  and  which,  from  the  barks 
that  came  from  the  tangle  of  fur,  gave  evidence  that  it  was  a  dog  of 
some  kind.  The  surgeon  explained  that  it  was  a  Scotch  terrier,  all 
the  way  from  Scotland,  and  he  further  declared  that  Muff  was  the 
best  educated  dog  on  Sable  Island.  In  proof,  he  put  him  through  a 
succession  of  tricks  that  went  far  to  prove  his  assertions.  Besides 
this  hairy  bundle  of  life,  there  was  a  parrot  perched  upon  a  cross- 
piece  in  the  corner,  who' saluted  the  boys  with,  "  Does  your  mother 
know  you  are  out?"  and  then  immediately  began  to  sing,  in  a 
hoppity-skip  manner :  '  ; 


There  is  na  luck  about  the  house, 

TLere  isna  luck  at  a' 
There  is  na  luck  about  the  house 

When  my  auld  man's  awa'. 

The  surgeon  accounted  for  his  Scotch  tendencies,  by  saying  that 
he  was  rescued  from  the  cabin  of  a  wrecked  Aberdeen  clipper  ship, 
and  that  he  was  as  much  at  home  upon  Sable  Island,  as  if  he  were 
upon  his  native  heath. 

A  crow — black  as  the  inside  of  an  ink  bottle — made  his  appear- 
ance from  under  a  chair,  and,  sidling  up  to  the  boys,  astonished  them 
by  saying,  with  a  cracked  voice,  that  sent  the  parrot  off  into  hysterics 
of  laughter :     "  Here's  nuts  !     Here's  nuts  I" 

*'  That  fellow  came  from  the  forecastle  of  the  same  ship  from 
which  the  parrot  came."  explained  the  surgeon,  "but  his  learning 
came  from  the  parrot,  to  which  he  has  listened  so  long  and  so  atten- 
tively, that  he  has  become  quite  an  accomplished  speaker." 

"  Here's  nuts!"  exclaimed  the  parrot,  in  confirmation. 

"  But  he  has  some  bad  language  of  his  own."  the  surgeon  contin- 


i 


;  I 


!i; 


nil 


in  ! 


I* 


I  ! 


ii 
iii.i 


i'iii 


156 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


ued,  "  which  he  must  have  contracted  from  his  surroundings  in  the 
forecastle.  Someone  split  his  tongue  to  facilitate  his  speech,  an 
operation  which,  happily,  it  is  not  necessary  for  humankind  to 
undergo." 

While  he  was  speaking,  a  squirrel  crept  up  Dick's  leg  and  dove 
into  one  of  his  sailor  jacket  pockets  on  an  exploring  expedition. 

"I  brought  him  from  Halifax  with  me,"  the  surgeon  explained, 
"and  when  he  wants  something  in  the  shape  of  climbing  exercise,  I 
let  him  climb  the  crow's  nest  spar,  or  up  the  roof  of  the  palace. 
Though  there  are  no  nut  trees  here,  he  quite  frequently  finds  nuts  in 
my  ,  ockets,  and  that  is  what  he  is  after  now."  And  the  surgeon 
opened  a  drawer,  and  taking  an  English  walnut  from  the  many  he 
had  there,  he  dropped  it  into  Dick's  pocket,  from  which  the  squirrel 
Immediately  came  with  the  prize  in  his  mouth,  and  scampered  away, 
while  both  parrot  and  crow  screamed:  "Here's  nuts!  Here's 
nuts!"  Nor  did  they  become  quiet  until  they,  too,  were  served 
with  a  nut  each. 

A  great  tiger-colored  cat  dozed  through  all  the  tumult  in  a  leather- 
bottomed  chair,  and  when  Jack  went  up  to  stroke  it,  he  suddenly 
drew  back  in  alarm,  for,  nestled  ud  close  to  the  cat,  like  a  favorite 
kitten,  was  a  venerable  gray  rat,  minus  his  tail.  A  rat,  and  a  cat, 
and  a  rat  terrier,  in  the  same  room.,  and  in  such  amicable  Intimacy, 
was  explained  by  the  surgeon,  who  said :  "  I  picked  the  rat  up  from 
the  beach  one  morning,  when  he  was  more  dead  than  alive,  for  he 
had  just  been  tossed  up  by  the  surf,  and,  thinking  that  he  had  endured 
misfortunes  enough  for  one  lifetime,  I  brought  him  in  here  and  am- 
putated his  broken  tall.  And  then,  by  way  of  making  the  lion  lie 
down  with  the  lamb,  I  disciplined  Tab,  Muff  and  Bobtail,  till  their 
natural  dispositions  yielded  to  my  Christian  instructions.  Bobtail 
usually  passes  his  nights  curled  up  in  Muff's  long  hair,  and  if  you 
were  to  make  hostile  demonstrations  toward  Bobtail,  figuratively 
speaking,  you  would  soon  have  Muff  into  your  hair." 

While  thus  speaking,  the  surgeon  had  taken  his  violin  and  tuned 
it  up.  Pausing  In  the  flow  of  his  words,  he  took  a  small  wooden 
wand  and  gave  it  to  the  squirrel,  which  he  had  named  Tommy  Tucker, 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


157 


and,  the  squirrel  having  hid  his  nut,  received  it  without  demur  and 
perched  himself  on  his  haunches  with  a  knowing  look  of  expectation. 
Presently  the  surgeon  began  to  piay  the  "  Grand  March  in  Norma." 
Muff  fell  in  behind  the  squirrel;  Tab  followed;  then  came  Bobtail, 
alter  whom  came  Polly,  and  the  crow,  whom  the  surgeon  had  named 
Nelson.  All  being  in  Ifne,  and  the  squirrel  erect  on  his  hind  feet, 
with  his  wand  held  directly  before  him,  the  surgeon  by  a  sudden, 
sharp  transition,  which  served  as  a  signal  to  his  performers, 
struck  up : 

"  The  Campbells  are  coming,  oho.  oho !" 

Tommy  Tucker,  beating  time  with  his  wand,  gave  the  step,  and 
the  whole  procession  marched  around  the  room  to  the  music  of  the 
violin  as  circumspectly  as  it  they  were  being  reviewed  by  a  major- 
general  of  the  regular  army. 

It  was  an  astonishing  performance,  and  when  it  was  over,  the 
surgeon  said  :  "  I  have  been  at  the  pains  to  train  these  creatures 
for  a  purpose.*  There  are  times  when  our  men  get  so  restless,  irri- 
table and  almost  rebellious,  it  becomes  necessary  to  distract  their 
attention  from  themselves  to  something  else.  When  they  are  at 
their  worst,  which  Is  generally  in  winter,  I  have  them  come  in  here, 
where  I  amuse  them  with  one  of  my  classical  performances  with  these 
animals ;  and  the  show  generally  has  the  effect  of  restoring  them  to 
good  nature.  I  am  thinking  of  adding  to  my  attractions  in  the  com- 
ing spring  by  capturing  the  young. of  some  of  the  sand-birds  and  see- 
ing what  I  can  do  with  them  by  training  them  from  the  egg  up  to  the 
civilization  the  rest  of  my  pets  have  attained.  You  see  that  I  manage 
to  keep  myself  busy,  whatever  others  may  do,  for,  in  addition  to  these 
things,  and  my  regular  doctor's  work.  I  have  to  keep  a  record  of  the 
weather  and  atmospherical  changes  the  year  round  for  the  use  of  the 
government." 

"  And  besides  all  this,  you  have  gone  into  the  egg  business,"  said 
Dick,  looking  around  the  room,  which  was  festooned  with  long  strings 
of  egg  shells,  making  a  collection  of  every  variety  to  be  found  on  the 
island  in  the  breeding  season.  There  were  eggs  not  much  larger 
than  a  pea,  and  others  larger  than  a  goose-egg ;  some  were  as  white 


SMBH 


■■Hi 


i    ,f 


I. .  I 


m  § 


158 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


as  snow,  but  the  vast  majority  of  them  were  speckled  as  if  they  had 
been  lying  out  of  doors  during  a  rainstorm  of  mixed  colors. 

"  Oh.  the  egg  business  has  afforded  me  a  great  deal  of  amusement 
and  instruction  as  well."  said  the  surgeon  ;  "  and  so  has  the  collect- 
ing of  the  stuffed  specimens  of  the  parent  birds  I  have  managed  to 
gather." 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  vigorous  knocking  at  the  door. 

"  How  much  longer  are  you  going  to  keep  Dick  and  Jack  in  that 
menagerie  of  yours?"  asked  Clari.  as  soon  as  the  door  was  opened. 
"We  are  waiting  for  them." 

"Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,  my  lady!"  replied  the  surgeon,  with 
a  great  show  of  humility.  "  1  forgot  all  about  their  engagement  with 
the  princesses."  Then  turning  to  boys,  he  added  :  "  Come  in  this 
evening  and  bring  their  ladyships  with  you.  and  I'll  put  my  animal 
friends  through  all  their  accomplishments,  if  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  show  you  how  much  we  can  get  out  of  animals  when  they  are 
rightly  treated." 

The  girls  had  already  secured  Topsy  and  Turvy,  and  had  them  in 
waiting  with  three  other  ponies  that  were  to  serve  as  their  own 
mount.  • 

The  girls'  ponies  were  provided  with  saddles,  and,  on  seeing  them. 
Dick  said:  "  I  tho.ght  that  it  was  against  the  law  of  the  island  for 
anyone  to  put  a  saddle  on  a  Sable  Island  pony.  Where  did  you 
get  them  ?" 

"The  king  and  the  surgeon  made  them,"  replied  Alice.  "  made 
them  for  our  use,  for,  of  course,  anybody  else  would  oe  scouted  if 
they  bothered  themselver  with  such  things." 

The  saddles  were  made  of  sealksin  and  canvas,  and,  during  the 
long  winter  evenings,  the  king  and  the  surgeon  had  expended  so 
much  ingenuity  upon  them,  that  they  were  not  to  be  laughed  at  by 
even  a  professional  saddler.  * 

The  pony  Alice  rode  was  called  Burns,  though  he  was  as  black  as 
a  crow.  Not  to  be  outdone.  Bell  called  hers  Scott,  and  Sir  Walter, 
though  of  a  questionable  brown  hue.  as  if  he  had  been  baked  in  an 
oven  like  a  loaf  of  bread,  had  the  reputation  of  being  the  fastest  trot- 


had 

nent 
lect- 
id  to 


I  that 
ened. 

,  with 
t  with 
n  this 
inimal 
,e  than 
ey  are 

lem  in 
;ir  own 

them. 

ind  for 

id  you 

made 
)Uted  if 

ing  the 
nded  so 
d  at  by 

black  as 
Walter, 
;d  in  an 
test  trot- 


IM 


I     ' 


;!  I 


IIM 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


161 


ter  on  the  island.  The  spotted  mare,  ridden  by  Clari,  was  called 
Patsy,  and  on  being  questioned  why  such  a  descent  was  made  in  the 
naming,  Clari  explained  by  saying  : 

"  I  was  going  to  call  her  McPherson,  but  the  other  girls  laughed 
at  me  so  much  for  calling  a  mare  by  a  man's  name,  that  I  got  up- 
pish at  them,  and  called  her  by  the  first  Irish  name  I  could  think  of, 
and,  though  they  wanted  to  call  her  Effie  Dean,  I  just  stuck  to  Patsy 
till  they  had  to  come  round  to  my  taste.  I  think  that  such  names 
as  Topsy,  Turvy  and  Patsy  are  much  better  names  for  such  creatures 
as  these  than  such  toplofty  names  as  Burns  and  Scott."  And,  ap- 
pealing directly  to  Jack,  she  asked  :     "  Don't  you?" 

Jack  gallantly  assented,  and  the  union  of  opinion  made  them  com- 
panions for  the  most  of  the  time  they  were  out  among  the  dunes. 
"  Yes"  is  the  master  hyphen  in  the  English  language,  and  if  a  cat 
could  only  say  it  to  a  dog — say  it  with  some  show  of  sincerity  - 
the  cat  and  the  dog  could  walk  arm  in  arm  for  the  rest  of  their 
natural  lives 

The  girls  wore  indescribable  jockey  caps,  vizored  with  sealskin. 
Their  waists  were  of  red  flannel,  with  skirts  of  blue  serge.  Topsy 
didn't  like  Patsy,  for  females  are  rather  jealous  of  one  another,  and, 
regardless  of  Jack's  remonstrances,  she  whisked  her  own  way.  The 
spirit  of  the  wind  seemed  to  take  possession  of  the  little  beast,  and 
she  scurried  along  at  a  speed  that  soon  put  her  out  of  sight  of  the 
others,  notwithstanding  their  strenuous  efforts  to  keep  up  with  her. 
While  going  at  her  most  headlong  rate,  she  gave  a  snort  and  sud- 
denly threw  herself  back  on  her  haunches,  while  Jack  went  over  her 
head  so  snugly  that  he  found  himself  sitting  comfortably  in  the  sand, 
still  attached  to  the  pony  by  the  bridle,  which  he  held  between  his 
legs.  He  was,  however,  almost  as  much  disturbed  as  Topsy  her- 
self, for  a  turn  at  the  foot  of  a  dune  had  brought  him  face  to  face 
with  a  specter  which  made  his  blood  run  so  cold  that,  for  a  moment, 
he  was  as  much  of  a  fixity  as  Topsy  herself.  It  was  in  this  plight 
that  the  others  found  them,  and  then  there  was  a  merry  time  of  it 
all  the  way  round. 

"  That's  our  Sable  Island  ghost."  said  Clari,  as  soon  as  she  could 


M  I' 


I  ii 


II'' 

ill 

i  i  ■ 


in  It   I 


l}l!i 


162 


DICK  AND  JACKS  ADVENTURES 


command  her  laughter ;  "  and  I  am  glad  it  was  there  to  bring  you 
to  your  senses." 

"  But  I  couldn't  help  running  away,"  Jack  protested;  "the  Old 
Harry  himself  couldn't  have  stopped  Topsy,  she  was  so  full  of  mis- 
chief." 

"  Well.  Old  Neptune  did  stop  her,"  suggested  Bell,  "  fori  suppose 
she  got  frightened  at  that  figure-head,  and  that  is  the  reason  why  you 
sat  down  there  to  think  about  things." 

That's  what  it  was,  a  big  figure  of  Neptune,  which  once  belonged 
to  an  English  ship  of  that  name.  The  surgeon  happened  to  discover 
it  one  day  after  a  strong  wind  had  blown  the  sand  from  its  prostrate 
form,  and  by  dint  of  much  labor  he  had  dug  a  hole  for  its  feet  and 
raised  it  to  an  upright  position.  Sand  and  weather  had  bleached  the 
figure,  that  still  retained  a  part  of  its  trident,  to  a  spectral  whiteness, 
which  in  the  night  would  have  tried  the  nerves  of  the  stoutest-hearted 
stranger.  No  wonder  that  Topsy,  com.ing  so  unexpectedly  upon  it, 
considered  discretion  the  better  part  of  valor  and  surrendered  with- 
out taking  another  step. 

"  Why,  jack,  we  ought  to  haul  that  old  fellow  down  to  our  end  of 
the  island,  and  get  the  king  and  the  surgeon,  and  all  the  rest  of  them 
to  come  down  and  marry  Maskomet  to  him.  They'd  make  a  good 
match."  And  then  Dick  began  to  laugh  again  at  the  posture  in 
which  Jack  and  Topsy  were  found. 

"  Well,  if  I  couldn't  look  more  like  a  god  than  that,  I'd  go  to  sea 
again  and  find  a  hiding  hole  somewhere  at  the  bottom,  and  not 
come  here  and  scare  decent  folks  almost  out  of  their  wits,"  said 
Jack,  beginning  to  laugh  at  himself.  "  If,"  he  continued,  "  he 
would  only  take  root  and  grow  into  some  sort  of  a  tree,  there' d  be 
some  sense  in  his  standing  up  in  the  sand  there  In  that  ridiculous 
shape." 

Neptune  had  lost  one  ear ;  half  of  the  nose  was  snu.oed  off ;  the 
right  eyebrow  had  disappeared  altogether ;  both  cheeks  were  fright- 
fully cracked  ;  a  part  of  the  lower  lip  had  been  split  away,  giving  an 
expression  to  that  part  of  the  face  that  was  decidedly  dissipated,  so 
that  his  godship  looked  as  though  he  had  been  on  a  prolonged  spree 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


163 


fO\X 

Old 
nis- 

pose 
'you 

nged 
:over 
strate 
it  and 
edthe 
eness, 
learted 
ipon  it. 
d  witb- 

end  oi 
of  them 
a  good 
sture  in 

0  to  sea 
and   not 
ts."  said 
led.  "he 
lere'd  be 
jldiculous 

off ;  the 
Ue  fright- 
I  giving  an 

ipated,  so 
Iged  spree 


with  some  disreputable  gods.  True,  the  muscles  of  the  halt  nude 
body  bulged  with  a  great  show  of  strength,  and  the  one  arm  that  re- 
mained, holding  the  broken  trident  with  the  single  prong  left,  gave  a 
semblance  of  majestic  mastery ;  but  upon  the  whole,  this  Neptune 
was  not  a  very  suitable  god  to  represent  the  empire  of  the  ocean. 

"  He  did  hide  himself  once,  and  we  thought  he  had  gone  for 
good,"  Clari  began,  referring  to  Jack's  words;  "  but  he  came  back 
again,  and  we  were  glad  of  it,  too.  We  should  miss  him  very  much 
if  we  couldn't  pass  the  compliments  with  him  when  we  take  our  rides 
among  the  dunes." 

"What  does  the  girl  mean  ?"  asked  Dick,  turning  to  Alice. 

"  There  had  been  a  great  storm,"  said  Alice  in  reply,  "  and  the 
first  time  we  rode  out  after  its  occurrence  Neptune  had  disappeared. 
The  next  time  we  came  in  this  direction — three  days  afterward,  there 
he  was  again  as  big  as  ever,  only  he  was  facing  in  an  entirely  differ- 
ent direction.  We  galloped  home  as  fast  as  we  could  go  and  told 
everybody  that  we  had  seen  old  Neptune's  ghost,  and  then  the  sur- 
geon laughed  at  us. 

"  He  said  that  the  men  at  the  station  were  making  a  mystery  of 
the  disappearance,  and  he  wasn't  going  to  have  any  more  mysteries 
about  Sable  Island  than  he  could  help.  So  he  took  a  shovel,  and 
believing  that  the  figure-head  had  got  buried  in  the  sand  by  the 
wind,  he  went  to  work  and  dug  until  he  found  him,  and  then  he  set 
him  up  again  with  his  face  turned  another  way,  so  that  he  might 
have  another  view  of  the  sandscape.  He  didn't  say  anything  about 
it  to  any  of  us.  because  he  didn't  think  that  any  of  us  were  foolish 
enough  to  make  any  fuss  over  his  reappearance. 

"  Since  then  the  old  fellow  has  tried  to  crawl  underground  several 
times,  and,  having  taken  a  hint  from  the  surgeon,  we  always  dig  him 
out  again.  We  should  be  lonesome  without  him,  and  so  would  the 
small  snipe  that  are  in  the  habit  of  alighting  on  him." 

"  I  should  think  that  even  a  graveyard  would  be  company  In  such 
a  dismal  place  as  this,"  said  Dick,  very  pointedly.  The  scene  about 
him  was  rather  depressing.  The  dunes,  with  their  conical  shapes, 
night-cap  tops  and  ragged  skirts,  patched  here  and  there  with  spots 


m 
mil 

j  I   i 

I'     < 


JWh 


I 

llUiii 

iil 

i  I 

il 
!| 

i 

m 


■JE 


lLlJlUi!L'..r-^|.'iJ'. 


^ssm 


164 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


of  vivid  vegetation,  made  them  look  like  a  lot  of  gigantic  old  women 
from  some  unknown  world  gathered  on  the  island  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  a  convention  about  things  in  heaven,  things  on  earth  and 
things  under  the  earth. 

"  Would  you  like  to  see  the  Sable  island  cemetery?"  asked  Alice, 
rather  plaintively,  for  she  didn't  more  than  half  fancy  the  levity  with 
which  Dick  spoke  of  the  abode  of  the  dead,  and,  furthermore,  she 
thought  he  would  be  sobered  if  he  could  see,  what,  to  her,  was  the 
saddest  spot  she  had  ever  seen  or  heard  of. 

"  Yes,  of  course ;  I  have  heard  of  the  place,  and  am  quite  curious 
about  it,"  Dick  replied,  glancing  at  her  face  to  get  some  clew  to  the 
plaintiveness  of  her  tone. 

Taking  the  lead,  Alice  led  them  up  a  sort  of  ridge,  upon  the  top  of 
which  the  boys  noticed  bits  of  broken  plank,  which,  they  were  in- 
formed, stood  for  headstones  to  faint  mounds,  under  which  were  the 
remains  of  wrecked  men  and  the  island  dead.  This  spot  had  been 
used  for  a  burial  place  as  far  back  as  the  history  of  the  island  could 
be  traced.  On  the  outer  edge  of  the  ridge,  the  sand  had  been  blown 
away,  exposing  several  skulls  and  many  human  bones,  which,  from 
having  been  polished  by  the  action  of  the  shifting  sands,  glistened  in 
the  sun  with  a  ghastly  glare. 

"Don't  they  use  coffins  when  they  bury  people  here?"  Dick 
asked. 

"  A  few  of  the  dead  have  been  buried  in  plank  boxes — and  they 
were  people  who  belonged  to  the  island — but  all  that  have  been  thrown 
ashore  by  the  surf,  were  simply  wrapped  in  canvas  or  buried  in  their 
clothes,  if  any  were  left  upon  their  bodies." 

She  pointed  out  a  number  of  low  mounds,  and  said  that  they  con- 
tained the  remains  of  women  and  children  thrown  upon  the  island  by 
the  wreck  of  an  emigrant  steamship  that  went  to  pieces  on  one  of 
the  outer  sandspits  of  the  Island.  When  she  was  asked  how  it  hap- 
pened that  they  were  so  thickly  covered  with  the  deep  green  of  the 
wild-pea  vines,  she  replied  that  she  and  her  sisters  transplanted  the 
vines  and  Kept  the  graves  as  green  as  they  could.  The  vines  had 
kept  the  winds  from  blowing  the  mounds  away. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


165 


Dick 


The  thought  of  being  buried  in  such  a  place  filled  the  boys  with 
horror,  and  Jack  thoughtlessly  exclaimed  :  "  I  should  think  that  the 
very  idea  of  being  buried  here  would  make  you  girls  wish  to  get  away 
from  the  island  as  soon  as  possible." 

Alice  was  a  brave  little  body,  but  she  shuddered  visibly,  and 
glanced  quickly  in  the  direction  of  her  siste-s,  and  seeing  that 
they,  too,  were  quivering  with  sudden  dread,  she  comfortingly  said  : 
"  If  our  spirits  lie  in  the  arms  of  God,  it  matters  little  where  our 
bodies  lie." 

"  Let  us  get  away  from  here  !"  exclaimed  Bell,  impulsively,  and, 
turning  the  head  of  her  pony,  she  started  on  a  gallop,  the  rest  follow- 
ing after  her. 

She  did  not  slacken  her  speed  until,  after  having  taken  a 
winding  course  among  the  dunes  and  around  several  crystal-clear 
ponds,  that  lay  like  '  jewels  amid  the  surrounding  desolation, 
she  led  them  up  a  slight  eminence,  which  gave  them  a  full 
view  of  a  beautiful  lakelet.  Here  she  dismounted,  saying :  "We 
will  take  our  luncheon  here.'' 

"  But  what  about  the  ponies?"  Dick  asked,. 

"  Let  them  go.  of  course ;  they  will  go  down  to  the  pond,  and  after 
they  have  slaked  their  thirst,  they  will  have  a  pic-nic  of  their  own 
cropping  the  grass  about  the  pond.  When  we  want  them,  our  ponies 
will  come  at  our  call,  and  yours  will  follow." 

While  they  were  lunching.  Dick  and  Jack,  discovering  that  the 
girls  knew  a  good  deal  about  the  island,  began  to  push  inquiries, 
for  they  themselves  were  becoming  more  and  more  interested  in 
their  surroundings. 

By  way  of  preface  to  one  of  Dick's  questions,  Alice  said :  "  Mother 
has  been  quite  a  student  in  her  way,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Halifax.  She  keeps  studying  even 
now,  and  for  eight  months  in  the  year  drills  us  as  if  we  were  in  a 
regular  school.  And  if  any  of  the  men  want  to  learn  anything,  she 
helps  them  along  all  she  can,  and  so  does  Dr.  McDonald,  who  knows 
a  good  deal  more  than  mother  does,  at  least  that  is  what  mother  says. 
Mother  believes  that  children  should  know  all  that  there  is  to  be 


166 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


ih 


learned  about  the  places  they  live  in  first  of  all.  She  has  collected 
all  that  she  could  get  hold  of  that  would  shed  light  on  the  history  of 
Sable  Island. 

.  "  She  has  taught  us  that  the  Navigator  Cabot  was  the  first  to  sight 
Sable  Island — or,  at  least,  the  first  of  whom  there  is  any  account. 
He  discovered  the  place  a  hundred  years  before  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
of  the  States  landed  upon  Plymouth  Rock." 

"  There  goes  old  Plymouth  Rock,  and  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  with 
it.  that  father  has  told  us  so  much  about,"  said  Jack,  interrupting 
Alice.  "  I  have  been  taught  to  believe  that  they  were  first  in 
everything." 

"  Not  the  '  i  to  discover  the  New  World."  Dick  corrected.  "  But 
go  on,  Alice." 

"  Well,  as  1  was  about  to  say."  Alice  continued,  smiling  at  Jack's 
zeal  for  the  reputation  of  the  Pilgrims,  "  Cabot  didn't  like  the  look 
of  this  place  well  enough  to  attempt  to  land  here,  but  went  on  till  he 
struck  Newfoundland.  Mother  has  taught  us  that  the  great  French- 
man, Baron  St,  Just,  was  the  first  to  land  on  the  island,  and  that  he 
came  here  three  hundred  years  ago  and  tried  to  make  a  settlement 
where  we  are  eating  now.  That  is  why  this  part  of  the  island  is 
called  the  French  Gardens  ;  and  the  ponies  we  are  using,  and  those 
that  are  wild,  are  the  descendents  of  the  ponies  St.  Just  left  on  the 
island." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  that  he  got  here  before  we  did  1  What 
could  we  do  without  the  ponies  ?  If  this  place  was  ever  a  garden, 
it  doesn't  look  much  like  one  now.  It  has  gone  to  grass  long 
ago." 

Dick  resented  Jack's  inteiruption,  and  asked  him  to  save  his  com- 
ments till  Alice  was  through  with  her  account. 

"  There  was  another  French  naval  commander,  the  Marquis  de  la 
Roche,  who  came  here  ninety  years  after  St.  Just,"  Alice  resumed ; 
"  he  was  sent  out  by  Henry  IV.  of  France,  with  two  hundred  convict 
prisoners  they  wanted  to  get  rid  of  in  some  way.  Eighty  of  the  pris- 
oners were  left  here.  These  built  huts  out  of  wrecks,  clothed  them- 
selves mainly  in  sealskins,  and  had  such  an  awful  time  of  it  that 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


167 


com- 

dela 
umed ; 
convict 
\e  pris- 
them- 
it  that 


when  another  vessel  was  sent  to  se^  what  had  become  of  them  there 
were  only  twelve  of  them  left,  and  they  had  so  changed  that  they 
looked  and  acted  more  like  beasts  than  human  beings.  They  were 
taken  back  to  France  and  pardoned,  and  given  a  sum  of  money  to 
help  them  during  the  remainder  of  their  days." 

"  Guess  they  didn't  have  very  many  days  left  after  going  through 
all  that,"  said  the  incorrigible  Jack,  making  them  all  laugh,  in  spite 
of  Dick's  polite  frowns. 

"  Then  there  are  the  accounts  of  the  wrecking  of  a  Spanish  fleet 
off  yonder,  that  was  on  its  way  to  conquer  Cape  Breton.  And 
besides,  a  French  fleet,  under  the  command  of  d'Anville,  who 
had  orders  to  drive  all  English-speaking  people  out  of  the  colonies 
and  to  destroy  all  their  homes,  lost  several  ships  in  the  same 
place." 

"  The  bloody  old  pirate  !  served  him  right  I"  exclaimed  Jack. 

"  Then  there  is  the  story  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  who,  on  re- 
turning from  Newfoundland,  which  he  had  taken  possession  of  in  the 
name  of  the  English  crown,  lost  a  part  of  his  fleet  in  these  waters, 
and  his  own  life  also,  before  he  got  back  to  England." 

"  Well,  what  right  had  the  English  to  be  prowling  around  in  this 
part  of  the  world?  Why  didn't  they  keep  their  noses  at  home  and 
tend  to  their  own  affairs  ?"  asked  Jack,  again. 

"  Oh,  get  out.  Jack,"  said  Dick,  contemptuously;  "  if  it  had  not 
been  for  those  tough  old  Englishmen,  there  would  have  been  no 
Canada,  and  jjo  United  States,  either.  Besides,  England  is  so  small, 
the  big  boys  of  the  family  had  to  go  somewhere  to  make  room  for 
themselves.  You  can't  keep  children  and  grandchildren  under  one 
roof  forever."  '      -^ 

Ja  :  was  silent,  and  Alice  went  on  to  point  out  where  the  ocean 
steamer  Georgia  was  wrecked,  and  where  the  French  frigate 
L'Africaine  went  down  with  all  on  board,  and  also  where  the  Delight 
was  lost,  with  one  hundred  men. 

"  What  was  this  place  stuck  down  here  for,  so  as  to  be  in  the  way 
of  everybody  ?  The  Lord  must  have  made  some  mistake  in  his 
plans,"  commented  Jack. 


168 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


•fl:. 


"If  it  had  not  been  here,  where  would  we  have  been  now>" 
asked  Dick. 

"Gracious!  sure  enough."  And  Jack  rubbed  his  chin  in  deep 
thought  over  the  problem. 

"  Father  says  it  is  a  horrid  place,"  said  Alice,  "  but  he  also  says 
that  the  island  lies  right  across  the  gulf  stream  and  splits  it  into  two 
currents,  and  that  the  division  makes  a  great  difference  with  the 
temperature  of  different  countries.  And  so,  perhaps,  the  Lord  knew 
what  he  was  about  after  all.  And  now,  as  we  have  stayed  here  long 
enough,  we  will  go  down  to  the  south  beach.  Father  said  he  was 
going  down  there,  and  we  may  meet  him  and  accompany  him  home. 
I'll  ride  to  the  top  of  that  dune  and  see  if  he  is  anywhere  in  sight." 

Having  discovered  a  man  riding  along  the  south  beach,  she  headed 
the  party  in  that  direction,  and  found  the  king  engaged  in  a  ghastly 
piece  of  business.  He  was  trying  to  recover  a  body  from  the  surf 
with  a  long  body-line  which  had  a  heavy  lead  loading  at  the  end. 
By  throwing  this  loaded  end  over  the  body  he  finally  succeeded  in 
drawing  it  to  the  beach. 

The  man  was  about  thirty-five  years  of  age.  The  garments  were 
rich  and  fashionable.  A  valuable  diamond  cluster  flashed  from  the 
scarf,  and  another  diamond — a  solitaire — gleamed  on  the  left  hand  ; 
besides  these,  there  were  two  heavy  gold  signet  rings,  one  on  the 
left  forefinger  and  one  on  the  right.  A  few  links  of  a  heavy  gold 
watch  chain  hung  from  the  vest.  A  large  roll  of  American  and 
English  bank  bills  were  found  in  the  trousers ;  in  an  tnner  pocket 
of  the  vest  there  was  a  flat  pocketbook  containing  a  draft  on  London 
for  seven  hundred  pounds,  drawn  in  favor  of  Edward  Pullman,  which 
was  the  name  found  written  on  the  inside  of  the  pocketbook.  In  an- 
other pocket  about  a  dozen  gambling  chips  were  discovered.  His 
throat  was  cut  almost  from  ear  to  ear. 

He  had  been  murdered,  but  not  robbed.  Darby's  explanation 
or  conjecture  may  have  been  the  only  one  that  could  explain 
the  mystery.  He  said :  "  Probably  the  man  was  a  professional 
gambler  on  one  of  the  ocean  steamers.  One  of  his  victims  may 
have  caught  him  promenading  in  an  obscure  part  of  the  upper  deck, 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


169 


anation 
explain 
sssional 
ms  may 
r  deck, 


where  he  could  do  the  deed  of  revenge  and  push  him  overboard 
without  being  observed. 

All  the  effects  were  removed  and  sealed  up  to  be  sent  to  Halifax 
for  identification.  After  maki.ig  a  minute  record  of  the  personal 
appearance  of  the  man,  the  remains  were  drawn  to  the  cemetery  on 
a  flat  drag  and  buried  in  the  sand. 

This  repulsive  incident  made  a  shocking  ending  to  the  merry- 
making of  the  boys  and  girls,  and  made  such  an  impression  upon 
the  boys  that  it  was  difficult  tor  them  to  banish  it  from  their 
minds. 


mm 


RETURNING  TO  QUARTERS 

EN  days  had  passed  since  the  ar- 
rival at  the  palace,  yet  there  had 
been  no  lack  of  employment  and 
amusement.  Although  it  was 
the  girls'  season  for  studying 
under  the  instruction  of  their 
mother,  they  were  allowed  to 
devote  themselves  exclusively 
to  the  entertainment  of  their 
visitors.  Alice  and  Bell  knew 
how  to  use  a  gun,  so  thut. 
besides  pony  races  on  the 
beach,  rambles  among  the 
dunes  and  ponds,  hunts  for 
shells  and  sea-moss  along  the 
shore,  there  were  excursions 
to  the  lake  fo:  ducks,  and  for 
the  wild  geese  and  brant  that 
now  began  to  flock  to  the 
island. 

For  evening  amusements 
they  had  "  Blind  Man's  Buff." 
"  The  Happy  Family  of  the  Dispensary,"  and  vocal  and  instrumental 
concerts,  with  Bell  and  Clari  as  prima  donnas,  the  king  as  soloist, 
Alice  and  the  surgeon  as  guitar-player  and  violinist,  and  the  queen 

171 


!     ! 


m 


t 


li  f 


<  i.  ■ 


J 


V.  ^ 

'If 

I ;  • 

J  f 


III 


:  >■!,    i 


II 


'  1  I 


'7    \ 


: !  if! 

'  1 1   I 


;si!l 


172 


DICK  AND  JACiC'S  ADVENTURES 


and    the    visitors   to   act   the    triple    role    of   chorus,  auditors   and 
encorists. 

Pleasant  hours  were  also  spent  at  the  station  with  the  men.  who, 
being  mostly  sailors  that  had  sailed  the  seas  in  many  climes,  had 
tales  to  tell  that  were  entertaining  if  the  listener  was  not  too  great  a 
stickler  for  the  literal  truth.  The  sea  is  such  a  roomy  thing  a  naked 
fact  would  make  but  a  small  showing  in  thevastness,  and  hence,  the 
sailors,  with  a  due  regard  for  proportions,  loyally  dress  their  stories 
in  the  style  that  becomes  the  magnitude  of  their  setting. 

Finding  that  the  boys  vere  bent  on  returning  to  the  Maskomet, 
the  men  of  the  station,  on  the  evening  preceding  their  departure,  gave 
a  supper  in  their  honor,  and  invited  the  surgeon  and  the  king  to  be 
present  with  them.  They  excluded  the  other  sex  on  the  ground  that 
the  station  mess  table  could  not  afford  to  be  exposed  to  the  light  of 
female  royalty.  At  the  close  of  the  feast,  which  consisted  mainly 
of  black  coffee,  roast  duck,  and  plum-duff — by  which  v;  meant  boiled 
ship-bread,  stuffed  with  an  abundance  of  raisins,  and  served  with 
molasses  for  sauce,  the  king  asked  Tom  Bagley  to  tell  ^he  boys 
how  his  nose  was  put  out  of  joint,  for  that  important  member  of  the 
man's  face  was  so  sadly  awry  that  it  was  a  wonder  how  the  owner 
managed  to  sieer  straight  ahead  when  his  cutwater  was  curled  in  an 
almost  opposite  direction. 

"  Well,  if  you'll  believe  it,  it  wor  this  ^•"^^',  you  see,"  Tom  began, 
nothing  loth.  "  I  wos  mate  o'  the  fore-a.i  -after  Three  Brothers, 
which  the  same  was  named  that  waybecos  three  brothers  owned  her. 
We  wos  a-layin'  our  course  for  Cuby  with  a  carger  o'  lumber,  when 
I  says  to  the  skipper :  *  There's  a  hurricane  a-sneakin'  behind  that 
black  cloud  over  yonder.' 

"  '  Don't  I  know  it  ?'  says  he.  kinder  snappy-like.  '  Take  in  every 
stitch  o'  canvas  an'  make  everything  snug  an'  tight.'  which  the 
same  I  did  in  the  turn  of  a  heel.  Hows' mever,  that  didn't  keep  no 
hurricane  from  strikin'  uv  us.  r.n'  it  hit  us  so  hard  an'  suddenly,  that 
erfore  1  could  turn  my  head  to  leeward,  it  slewed  my  nose  to  port 
an'  laid  It  flat  as  a  pancake  to  my  che'^k.  We  saved  the  schooner 
by  the  skin  of  our  teeth,  but,  though  I've  workod  an'  worked  at  that 


Ml 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


17J 


every 
:h  the 
eep  no 
y,  that 
to  port 
hooner 
at  that 


nose  to  get  it  back  into  plum'  agin,  it  stays  as  crooked  as  a  ram's 
horn,  an'  that's  all  there  is  uv  it." 

"  If  you  had  turned  your  head  the  other  way  after  being  struck." 
said  the  surgeon,  "  the  hurricane  would  have  blown  it  straight 
again." 

"  No,  sir,"  Tom  replied,  with  a  great  show  of  anger,  "it  'ud 
a-snaked  it  clean  clear  o'  my  bow  altergether,  like  a  stick  wot  is 
worked  back  an'  forth  till  its  back  is  broken." 

"  Show  the  boys  your  watch,  Hal,  and  tell  them  how  you  came  by 
it,"  said  the  king,  to  a  man  by  the  name  of  Harry  Trunyon. 

"  There's  the  ticker,"  said  the  man.  glibly,  handing  to  the  boys 
an  old,  battered,  silver  time  piece,  "  but  the  story  connected  with  it 
is  almost  worn  out,  I  have  been  obliged  to  tell  it  so  often.  I  was  on 
board  the  ship  Manlius.  sailing  up  the  Mediterranean,  when  we  was 
beclamed  as  dead  as  a  last  ye?.;  s  egg  I  fixes  a  shark  line  and 
chunks  over  a  big  hunk  of  pork  for  the  sharks  to  look  at.  Pretty 
soon  one  on  'em  swallers  it  as  tho'  it  was  chockerlic  drops  an'  he 
was  a  seminary  gall  a-huntin'  fer  sun'thin'  sweet.  The  next  thing 
he  know'd  he  was  on  deck  an'  I  was  a-rippin'  into  him  to  see  what 
he  had  for  a  cargo  in  the  hold.  The  fust  thing  I  run  against  was 
that  watch,  which  I  slipped  into  my  pocket,  sayin'.  *  it's  mine,  be- 
cause I  killed  the  shark.'  The  next  thing  I  know'd,  I  cut  out  a 
bottle- -a  reg'lar  champagne  bottle — stopple  in,  and  sealed  as  tight 
as  a  drum,  with  the  champagne  a-peeplng  out  with  all  the  eyes  it 
had  in  its  head. 

"  Says  the  captain,  in  a  hurry,  *  that's  mine,  because  I  run  this 
ship,'  and  I'll  be  blamed  to  shivereens,  if  he  didn't  take  the  stuff 
and  carry  it  to  the  caHin,  where  he  and  his  mate  sucked  down  every 
drop  of  it,  and  he's  got  the  bottle  yet.  But,  seeing  as  how  there  is 
no  champagne  in  it.  and  as  how  I've  got  the  watch  yet,  I've  got  the 
best  of  the  bargain  after  all." 

"  But  why  didn't  the  champagne  ferment  in  the  stomach  of  the 
shark  and  burst  the  bottle?"  asked  the  surgeon,  who,  being  a  can*- 
Scot  of  the  genuine  kind,  wanted  to  know,  you  know. 

"Why,  sir!"  exclaimed  Hal,  with  a  snltf  of  contempt,  "the  water 


mm^  \ 


'.'I  'III I 


174 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


outside  of  that  sha'"k  kept  him  from  getting  too  warm,  and  the 
champagne  was  as  comfortable  as  if  it  was  asleep  on  ice  in  a  wine- 
cooler." 

"You  see.  boys."  said  the  surgeon,  "  there  are  some  things  that 
are  past  curing;  what  is  born  in  the  flesh  and  bred  in  the  bone  can- 
not be  helped.  You  might  know  that  those  men  were  not  born  in 
Scotland,  where  no  man  ever  tells  a  lie." 

"  Then,  where  were  you  born  ?"  asked  Hal,  abruptly.  "  It  sorter 
strikes  me  that  that  last  remark  of  yours  is  as  big  a  whopper  as  the 
tale  that  Tom  Bagley  tells  about  his  nose." 

"Which  the  same  I'd  make  my  affidavy  to  in  Scotlan'  or  any- 
where else,"  exclaimed  Bagley,  indignantly. 

The  next  morning,  the  boys  started  on  the  return  journey,  carry- 
ing their  bundles  of  clothes,  and  a  lot  of  magazines  and  papers  which, 
although  they  were  more  than  a  year  old,  had  been  pressed  upon 
them  by  the  queen,  who  had  received  them  from  the  good  people  of 
Halifax  for  the  benefit  of  Sable  Island. 

Dick  and  Jack  halted  at  the  midway  house  for  dinner,  as  they  did 
on  their  way  up  to  the  p^.'ice,  wondering  the  while  whether  the  '  ng's 
story  about  the  sealskin  coats  would  prove  true  or  false. 

But  as  they  might  have  known,  they  were  not  to  be  disappointed 
in  the  expectations  he  had  raised.  One  of  the  men,  Matthew  Hal- 
loriri,  an  Irishman,  was  an  old  seal-hunter,  who  had  spent  several 
seasons  hunting  seal  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawence  and  along  the  coast 
of  Labrador.  Besides,  after  a  fashion  of  his  own,  he  had  become 
expert  in  making  sealskin  coats,  and  not  only  caught  seals  on  Sable 
Island,  but  also  made  their  skins  up  Into  winter  coats  for  the  men  of 
the  island. 

When  the  boys  were  about  to  resume  their  journey  after  dinner, 
Matt  brought  out  the  promised  coats  and  presented  them  to  Dick 
and  Jack,  with  the  request  for  them  to  try  the  tit  before  they  left 
the  house.  The  garments  reached  nearly  to  the  ground,  and  were 
furnished  with  hoods  that  could  be  drawn  up  for  the  protection  of 
the  head. 

"  They  are  just  splendid  !"  Dick  exclaimed,  admiringly  and  grate^ 


mill  ■■!' 


I  r    i 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


175 


the 
ine- 

that 
can- 
n  in 

lOrter 
5  the 

any- 

carry- 
which, 
[  upon 
ople  of 

ley  did 
ng's 

pointed 
w  Hal- 
several 
le  coast 
become 
Sable 
men  of 


m 


dinner, 

to  Dick 

hey  left 

nd  were 

3Ciion  of 


fully.     "  But  how  are  you  to  get  your  pay  for  being  at  so  much 
trouble  on  our  account  ?" 

"  An'  is  it  pay  ye'U  be  thinkin'  uv  !"  said  Matt,  with  a  series  of  in- 
describable grimaces  and  motions.  "  Oi've  tuk  me  pay  for  iv'ry 
stitch  by  thinkin'  uv  the  cowld  they'd  kape  from  ye  whin  ould  winter 
comes  tearin'  down  the  dunes  lolke  a  roarin'  lion.  Phat  would  Oi  be 
a-doin'  with  pay  on  this  haythin  islan'",  where  there's  no  more  whisky 
than  ye'll  be  afther  findin'  in  a  well  o'  wather?  Whin  ye've  nothin' 
to  pay,  kape  it  in  yer  pockits  till  somebuddy  axes  yez  for  it.  Oi'm 
jist  splittin'  to  think  how  thim  skins'll  make  yer  own  skins  laugh 
whin  the  frost  tries  to  get  a  nip  at  ye." 

"  But  there  is  a  lot  of  work  in  them,"  exclaimed  Jack, 

"  Ye  need  niver  think  o'  that,  lad ;  Oi'd  make  a  dozen  coats  for 
ye,  if  only  for  the  sake  o'  seein'  yer  white  tathe  peepin'  from  the 
winder  under  yer  nose,  an'  a-smilin'  at  a  sinner  as  tho'  he  wor  wan 
o'  the  saints  o'  mother  church." 

'•  Well,  you  have  got  a  saint  hidden  in  you  somewhere,"  Jack  re- 
plied, earnestly. 

"  An'  it's  mysilf  'udloike  to  look  at  him  if  there's  enough  o'  him 
to  Stan'  opon  the  tip  o'  a  blade  o'  grass.  Oi've  been  lookin'  for  that 
same  for  forty  years  ;  an'  divil  uv  a  wink  have  I  had  from  him  yit. 
Matt  Hallorin  is  a  sinner  from  the  crown  o'  his  fate  to  the  sole  o' 
his  head — Oi  mane  from  the  fate  o'  his  head  to  the  head  o'  his  sole. 
It's  sinners  we  are,  intirely;  there's  no  denyin'  it,  seein'  the  praste 
tells  us  that  same.  But  Oi'm  afther  thinkin'  there's  a  bigdiff'rence 
betwane  ye  an'  mysilf;  your  sin  is  like  the  dirt  upon  the  skin,  an' 
moine's  like  maggots  in  the  bones." 

"  But  ye  are  ane  o'  our  best  men,"  said  the  man.  who  at  the  last 
visit  of  the  boys,  had  reproved  the  men  for  making  light  of  royalty 
by  calling  Darby  king. 

"  Ouch  ;  away  wid  yer,  man  !  Would  ye  be  afther  knockin'  down 
the  doctrin's  o'  the  church  wid  the  blarney  o'  yer  tongue  ?  It's 
mysilf  what  knows  that  St.  Pathrlck  couldn't  drive  the  snakes  an' 
the  toads  out  o'  me ;  an'  if  there  was  a  poteen  o'  whisky  in  sight  o' 


Ill  I!  ; 


176 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


i 
i 

ilH*'! 

these  eyes  Father  Matthew  would  have  to  put  a  yoke  o'  oxen  to  me 
to  kape  me  from  drinkin'  it." 

The  boys  had  twelve  miles  before  them  yet,  and  as  the  wind  was 
rising  and  a  scurry  of  clouds  was  thickening  across  the  sky,  Hallorin, 
well  acquainted  with  the  tricks  of  Sable  Island  weather,  said :  "  Its 
sorry  Oi  am  to  spake  the  word,  but  if  ye'll  not  be  stayin'  wid  us,ye'd 
better  be  lavin',  for  if  the  win'  begins  to  tear  alang  the  beach,  it'll 
raise  the  sand  an'  scrape  yer  faces  that  hard  ye'll  be  afther  thinkin' 
that  a  grin'stane  is  kissin'  ye." 

"  Kape  yer  coats  on,"  he  continued,  as  they  prepared  to  go,  •'  but 
if  ye  mate  ony  seals  on  the  way,  don't  mistake  them  for  cousins  an' 
go  to  caperin'  in  the  surf  wid  'em.  Thim  coats  wasn't  made  to  kape 
the  wather  from  getting  in  around  the  bottom,  ye  know." 

"We  will  try  to  keep  out  of  bad  company,  Mr.  Hallorin,"  Dick 
responded  ;  "  but  if  we  could  swim  as  well  as  the  seals  we  would 
take  the  water  for  home  without  stopping  to  say  good-by." 

"  God  bless  ye,  an'  Kape  ye  safe  for  the  mother  that's  wapin'  for 
the  lost,"  said  Hallorin,  with  so  much  feeling  that  the  boys,  finding 
themselves  choking  up  with  their  own  emotions,  rode  away  in  silence, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  they  ventured  to  speak  to  each  other. 

"  The  mother  that  is  weeping  for  the  lost." 

It  was  a  word  picture  of  such  vivid  force  that  their  eyes  were 
blinded  with  the  tears  they  vainly  strove  to  repress. 

After  they  had  gone  on  some  distance,  saying  nothing.  Jack, 
whose  feelings  against  Sable  Island  were  becoming  more  and  more 
hostile,  broke  out  petulantly  with  :  "  Dick,  if  I  were  here  without 
you,  I  should  be  tempted  to  fling  myself  into  the  surf  and  put  an  end 
to  my  stay  in  this  awful  place.  I  am  tired  of  the  piping  of  the  sand 
birds,  the  squawking  of  the  gulls,  the  quacking  of  the  ducks,  the 
crunching  of  the  sand,  the  rasping  of  the  wind  among  the  dunes  and 
the  everlasting  roar  of  the  surf.  They  set  my  teeth  on  edge,  and 
make  me  feel  gritty  and  shrill  inside  and  out.  I  don't  wonder  that 
the  governor's  voice  is  so  hoarse,  and  that  all  the  men  speak  as  if 
they  had  been  trying  to  imitate  the  wind  and  surf.  Even  the  ponies 
neigh  and  whinny  as  though  they  had  been  brought  up  on  a  north- 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


177 


;o  me 

,d  was 
Uorin, 
"  It's 
s.ye'd 
:h.  it'll 
hinkin' 

).  •'  but 
iins  an' 
to  kape 

,"  Dick 
-e  would 

apin'  for 

j,  finding 

silence, 

other. 

/es  were 

ng,  Jack, 
ind  more 
3  without 
ut  an  end 

the  sand 
.ucks,  the 
lunes  and 
edge,  and 
inder  that 
36  ak  as  if 

:he  ponies 
in  a  north- 


easter.    Do  you  think  that  we  can  stand  it  here  till  next  summer  ?" 

"  Don't  begin  to  ask  such  questions  as  that,  Jack,"  said  Dick, 
resolutely,  and  rising  more  erectly  on  his  pony,  on  which  he  had  been 
slouching  down  more  and  more  as  his  spirits  sank.  "  We  have  given 
Captain  Moline  our  word  that  we  would  fight  against  homesickness 
with  all  our  might ;  if  we  begin  to  fail  now,  what  shall  we  do  when 
the  winter  is  here  ?" 

"  Sure  enough,"  Jack  responded,  readily,  straightening  himself  up, 
without  noticing  that  Dick  had  just  gone  through  that  operation.  "  I 
remember  our  promise  to  the  captain,  and  our  word  shall  be  our  bond. 
But  that  soft-hearted  Irishman  almost  knocked  the  stuffing  out  of  me." 

"  And  out  of  me,  too,"  Dick  acknowledged.  "  There  is  one  thing 
that  we  ought  to  remember  with  gratitude,"  he  continued.  "  these 
island  people  are  as  warm-hearted  as  the  day  is  long,  if  their  voices 
and  manners  are  a  bit  rough.  They  couldn't  treat  us  better  if  we 
were  their  own  children.  I  am  glad  that  the  people  who  are  wrecked 
here  fall  into  such  good  hands." 

"So  am  I,"  Jack  responded,  heartily,  "  but  I  can't  understand 
what  makes  them  so  good  when  they  have  neither  a  meeting-house 
nor  a  preacher  to  ding  things  into  them." 

"  But  haven't  you  noticed  that  every  one  of  them  has  his  Bible, 
and  that  he  isn't  ashamed  to  be  seen  reading  it,  either?  And  Dr. 
McDonald  says  that  this  habit  is  worth  more  to  them  than  all  his 
medicines  and  his  books  put  together." 

'•  Perhaps  it's  because  they  have  so  few  things  in  the  shape  of 
meetings  and  societies  that  they  get  more  of  a  chance  to  know  what 
is  in  the  Bible  and  take  more  time  to  act  out  its  spirit." 

"  V/hy,  Jack,"  Dick  answered,  quickly,  "  if  you  swing  along  in  that 
style,  you'll  knock  the  steeple  off  of  every  meeting-house  in  the  land, 
and  turn  every  pulpit  bottom  upward,  so  that  every  preacher  will  be 
turned  out  to  grass  whether  he  likes  it  or  not." 

"  Oh,  I  rather  guess  not.  If  the  Lord  wants  preachers  and 
churches,  he'll  have  them  in  spite  of  anything  I  or  anybody  else  can 
say.  Anyway,  we  know  enough  about  Black  Point  and  Sable  Island 
to  know  that,  after  all,  it's  kind  of  lonesome  and  queer  to  be  out  of 


178 


DICK  AND  JACKS  ADVENTURES 


^fliili 


'  ii! 


:i«!! 


sight  of  a  church  steeple  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  But  if  1  ever  get 
rich,  I  shall  try  to  make  things  that  I  have  anything  to  do  with  keep 
near  enough  to  preaching  to  sight  it  with  a  telescope." 

"  And  I'll  be  your  oartner,  if  that's  the  sort  of  business  you  hanker 
after,"  said  Dick,  looking  over  at  Jack  with  a  flush  of  honest  pride. 

"Just  look  at  that  flock  of  gulls  whirling  around  in  a  circle  ahead 
of  us!"  exclaimed  Jack,  suddenly. 

"  They  have  probably  found  a  floater  of  some  kind,  and  are  get- 
ting ready  for  a  good  square  meal.  Let's  pull  our  hoods  over  our 
heads  and  drive  right  into  them,"  said  Dick,  putting  Turvy  into  a 
gallop,  which  Topsy  was  quick  to  copy. 

The  feast  over  which  the  gulls  were  whetting  their  bills  and  flash- 
ing their  eager  wings  and  making  such  a  concourse  of  most  discord- 
ant sounds  was  a  dead  devil-fish  in  an  advanced  state  of  decomposi- 
tion. It  was  probably  one  of  the  monsters  of  the  Newfoundland 
coast  which,  having  met  its  fate  in  some  unknown  way,  had  floated 
about  in  the  currents  of  the  sea  until  thrown  upon  Sable  Island.  Its 
body  was  nearly  as  big  as  a  barrel ;  its  eyes  were  literally  as  large  as 
saucers,  and  some  of  its  eight  arms  were  not  less  than  thirty  feet  in 
length. 

"Crackee!"  exclaimed  Jack.  "I  didn't  know  that  those  horrid 
things  ever  grew  as  big  as  that.  Why,  the  ones  we've  seen  at  Black 
Point  are  bits  of  babies  by  the  side  of  that  fellow.  How  do  we  know 
but  there  are  some  just  as  big  as  this  chap  around  the  rocks  of  Black 
Point  ?  What  should  we  do  if  a  fellow  like  that  were  to  take  a  notion 
to  put  his  arms  around  us  ?  I  declare  I  don't  believe  I  shall  ever 
dare  to  leap  into  the  sea  from  the  roc!:s  again.  We  shall  have  to  stick 
to  the  back  ponds.  Just  think  of  a  green,  gray  and  blue  spider  of  that 
size  stepping  up  to  us  and  bagging  us  as  if  we  were  merely  flies." 

"  Gracious,  Jack!  you  make  my  skin  crawl  worse  than  that  little 
fellow  made  it  smart — the  one,  you  know,  that  fastened  his  suckers 
on  me  that  time  I  jumped  into  the  sea  from  the  end  of  Darling  Rock. 
Of  course  there  are  no  such  giants  as  this,  there  ;  still  we'll  take 
care  where  we  go  in  swimming  after  seeing  this  fellow." 

"  He  looks  as  ugly  as  sin — 1  don't  wonder  the  coast  people  and 


iP 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


179 


get 
:eep 

.nker 
)ride. 
ihead 

e  get- 
jr  our 
into  a 

I  flash- 
[iscord- 
Dmposi- 
undland 
I  floated 
,nd.     Us 
large  as 
y  feet  in 


sailors  call  them  devil-fish.  What  do  you  suppose  that  the  Lord  ever 
made  such  a  looking  thing  as  that  for — but  I  don't  believe  the  Lord 
makes  such  things ;  they  must  have  crept  in  through  the  back-door 
somehow." 

The  gulls,  disturbed  by  the  boys'  presence,  were  becoming  more 
and  more  angry,  and  aggressive  as  well,  and  though  the  sealskin  coats 
protected  Dick  and  Jack  from  their  blows,  they  attacked  Topsy  and 
Turvy  with  such  ferocity  that,  without  waiting  for  any  hints  from  their 
riders,  they  started  down  the  beach  with  all  the  speed  they  could 
muster.  A  great  gray  gull,  almost  as  large  as  an  eagle,  with  seem- 
ingly motionless  wings,  poised  himself  upon  the  wind  in  such  a  won- 
drous way  that  he  kept  the  advance,  notwithstanding  the  galloping  of 
the  ponies.  This  gull  was  followed  by  a  solitary  companion,  with  a 
white  body,  dark  head,  barred  wings,  blue  tail  and  of  a  size  that  made 
him  seem  a  mere  swallow  in  comparison  with  the  gray  gull.  The  small 
follower  flapped  the  air  in  the  most  frantic  manner,  and,  zig-zagging 
up  and  down  and  hither  and  thither  on  angular  lines  of  flight,  kept  up 
a  shrill  screaming  that  was  as  penetrating  as  the  point  ot  a  lance. 

"  That  little  chap  is  the  steam  whistle  of  the  big  fellow,"  said  Jack, 
who  noticed  that  the  gray  gull  was  as  silent  as  a  cloud.  "  And.  by  the 
way,  Dick,"  he  continued,  "why  is  it  that  we  haven't  seen  such  a 
thing  as  a  singing  bird  since  we  came  here  ?" 

"  How  can  there  be  any  singing  birds  where  there  isn't  a  tree  nor 
a  bush,  nor  so  much  as  a  fence  or  a  stone  for  them  to  put  their 
feet  on." 

"  Sure  enough,  I  didn't  think  of  that ;  but  I'd  give  more  for  one  of 
our  little  Black  Point  singing  birds  than  I  would  for  all  the  gulls  on 
Sable  Island." 

"  So  would  I.  Still,  the  gulls  have  furnished  us,  first  and  last, 
with  lots  of  good  eggs." 

"  Yes,  I  know.     But  why  ar'n't  gulls  good  to  eat  ?" 

"  The  gray  gulls  are  as  good  as  ducks,  and  if  I  had  my  gun  with 
me,  I'd  bag  that  fellow  ahead  for  our  breakfast  to-morrow  morning." 

"  Faugh  !  Dick.  Hasn't  he  just  been  feeding  on  that  rotten  devil- 
fish ?"  • 


.ijjjidi^iwim'iiii 


't 


I  { r 


!    s 


■^:  i    ill! 


illijill      llljllIM 


I         'i 


180 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"  It's  not  what  they  eat,  but  how  they  taste,  that  does  the  business. 
The  very  potatoes  we  eat  are  fed  on  rottenness." 

Jack  did  not  have  time  to  digest  this  bit  of  old  news,  for  it  was 
knocked  out  of  his  mind  by  the  giant,  who  was  galloping  toward  them, 
with*  his  feet  touching  the  sand  at  every  lope  of  his  sturdy  pony. 
"  There  he  is !"  Jack  exclaimed,  joyfully,  and  both  Topsy  and  Turvy, 
in  sympathy  with  his  cry,  started  off  at  a  good  swinging  gait  that 
soon  brought  their  riders  and  the  advancing  giant  together. 

"  Hurrah  !"  shouted  Jack,  in  the  excess  of  his  spirits. 

"  I  vas  hurrah  dot  vay  mit  myselluf  wen  I  vas  see  her  comin'.  re- 
sponded the  giant,  his  broad  face  beaming  like  a  full  moon. 

"  But  how  did  you  know  us  so  far  off  ?"  Dick  asked,  curiously. 

"  I  vas  eggspected  him  vor  days,  und  she  don't  coom  yoost  as  I 
eggspected,  Und  den  I  vas  get  dose  glass  und  look,  und  look,  und 
right  ervay  it  fetch  'em.  But  mein  poysvere  vas  you  get  dem  gotes 
vat  makes  her  look  like  bull  seals  yoost  vrom  dot  sea?"  And  Jumps 
asked  this  question  with  as  much  apparent  innocence  as  if  he  had 
not  the  slightest  knowledge  or  suspicion  of  the  coat  conspiracy. 

"Oh,  you  old  rogue  !"  said  Dick,  "  you  knew  all  about  it,  and  got 
our  measures  and  sent  them  to  that  grand  old  Irishman  up  to  the  mid- 
way house." 

"  Vas  dot  so  ?  Veil  he  vas  send  me  vord  to  dell  him  how  pig 
she  vas,  und  I  yoost  dook  your  sizes  vrom  dot  figure  vat  she  makes 
in  dot  sand  ven  her  vas  lay  upon  his  pack  and  spreads  her  arms  und 
leafes  dot  mark." 

The  boys  remembered  their  measuring  themselves  in  the  sand, 
and  laughed  heartily  at  the  use  the  giant  had  made  of  their  frolic. 

Bingo  was  away  with  some  of  the  lifemen,  but  while  the  boys  were 
eating  supper  on  the  Maskomet  he  came  bouncing  up  the  gangway 
with  the  heftiness  of  a  lion,  and  finding  the  cabin  door  open,  rushed 
in  with  demonstrations  of  joy  that  came  near  upsetting  every  movable 
thing  in  the  room,  not  ev«^n  excepting  the  boys  themselves. 


re- 


PERILOUS   PROPOSAL 

OGGS,  the  man  who,  on  the  first 
appearance  of  Dick  and  Jack,  dis- 
sented from  the  idea  that  anyone  could  be  a  gentleman  without  the 
aid  of  good  clothes,  was  not  in  favor  with  the  station  men. 

He  came  to  the  island  as  a  castaway  from  a  ship  wrecked  during 
the  preceding  winter.  In  saving  the  lives  of  that  crew  one  of  the 
lifemen  sacrificed  his  own.  Boggs  begged  to  be  taken  into  the  sta- 
tion crew  in  the  place  of  the  lost  man.  His  request  was  granted, 
with  the  understanding  that  when  the  tender  visited  the  island  to 
remove  the  shipwrecked  men  he  might  go  with  them  if  he  so  desired. 
I  When  his  companions  left  he  remained. 

181 


14:.'  Ii    !l 


182 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


For  some  reason  or  other  he  was  unpopular  with  his  former  ship- 
mates, and  became  no  less  so  with  the  men  of  the  station  crew. 
He  was  fearless  in  exposing  himself  to  the  dangers  of  surf  drill,  but 
his  constant  sleep-talking,  moroseness,  shaking  of  his  head  when  he 
thought  that  he  was  not  observed,  and  violent  talking  to  himself  in 
his  waking  hours,  gave  the  lifemen  the  impression  that  he  was  not 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  his  own  conscience,  and,  hence,  as  a  gen- 
eral thing,  they  had  as  little  to  do  with  him  as  possible.  That  his 
education  was  far  superior  to  theirs  became  more  and  more  evident 
as  time  went  on,  and  multiplying  indications  convinced  the  men  that 
he  had  been  brought  up  in  a  family  of  considerable  means,  and  had 
moved  in  a  wide  circle  of  acquaintances.  His  natural  distaste  for 
the  life  he  was  obliged  to  live  on  the  island  was  so  manifest  that  the 
men  wondered  why  he  had  elected  to  remain  among  them  when  he 
might  have  gone  away. 

Brown,  who  was  known  as  the  "  tailor"  of  the  station,  was  the 
only  man  who  maintained  anything  like  intimacy  with  him.  But 
Brown  himself  looked  upon  Boggs  as  a  puzzle. 

"  Boggs,"  said  Brown,  one  day  when  the  two  men  were  out  to- 
gether, "  you  are  the  queerest  chap  I  ever  saw.  What  makes  you 
talk  so  much  in  your  sleep  and  to  yourself  in  the  daytime  when  you 
are  alone  ?     Did  you  ever  rob  a  bank  or  kill  anybody  ?" 

Livid  with  rage,  Boggs  turned  upon  his  innocent  and  good-natured 
questioner  with  a  volley  of  oaths  in  the  midst  of  which  he  said,  with 
a  malignant  glance :  "If  you  ask  me  any  more  questions  of  that 
kind,  or  talk  of  such  things  to  the  rest  of  the  men,  I'll  kill  you  as 
sure  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven." 

Brown  was  surprised  at  the  outbreak  of  his  companion,  but  he  was 
not  a  man  to  be  cowed  by  either  threats  or  violence,  and  he  simply 
said  :  "Well,  Boggs,  I  meant  no  offense;  but  I  will  say  now  and 
here,  without  fear  or  favor,  if  you  are  as  sore  as  all  that,  I'll  keep  as 
far  from  you  as  the  rest  of  the  men  are  doing,"  and  he  had  little  to 
do  with  him  from  that  hour. 

The  rest  of  the  crew  quickly  observed  the  breach  between  the  men 
and  became  more  suspicious  of  Boggs  than  ever. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


183 


ihip- 
;rew. 
.but 
in  he 
jlf  in 
lS  not 
.  gen- 
at  his 
/ident 
n  that 
id  had 
;te  for 
lat  the 
len  he 

/as  the 
,.     But 

out  to- 
ces  you 
en  you 

natured 
.id,  with 
of  that 
you  as 

he  was 

simply 

now  and 

keep  as 

little  to 

the  men 


In  the  presence  of  the  boys,  Boggs  was  never  profane  or  obscene ; 
he  seemed  to  covet  their  intimacy,  and  from  the  stores  of  his  wide 
information,  and  in  well  chosen  language,  he  gave  them  much  that 
served  to  interest  and  benefit  them.  They  knew  that  he  was  dis- 
trusted by  the  men,  but,  unsuspicious  themselves,  they  attributed  his 
reputation  for  moroseness  to  dissatisfaction  with  his  island  life,  and, 
more  charitably  still,  believed  that  he  was  suffering  the  torments  of 
homesickness. 

They  had  asked  the  giant  about  him,  but  that  prudent  soul  re- 
plied ;  "  Some  vas  porn  dot  vay  ven  she  couldn't  help  hisselluf, 
und  ve  vas  hafe  to  let  dem  stay  dot  vay ;  und  some  vas  get  dot  vay 
so  bad  she  don't  never  get  no  bedder.  Mein  poys  von't  podder  mit 
him.  Dere  vas  hot  vater  in  dot  keddle,  und  you  vas  keep  her  vin- 
gers  ervay  vrom  it." 

But  Dick  and  Jack  sympathized  with  the  loneliness  of  the 
friendless  man,  and  did  all  they  could  to  cultivate  his  acquaint- 
ance. Boggs  seemed  to  appreciate  their  approaches,  and  the 
more  the  men  avoided  him,  the  more  he  sought  the  boys' 
society.  After  their  return  to  the  Maskomet,  he  hovered  around 
them  at  every  opportunity  as  if  he  had  something  that  he  -was 
ever  on  the  point  of  saying  without  having  the  courage  to  bring  it 
to  his  lips. 

One  day,  the  boys  were  on  their  way  to  the  lake  after  a 
fresh  supply  of  game ;  they  had  not  gone  far,  when  Boggs 
drove  around  a  dune  and  joined  them,  saying  that  he  was 
going  over  to  the  south  beach  and  would  be  glad  to  accom- 
pany them  as  far  as  he  went.  They  were  not  sorry  to  see  him, 
though  he  at  first  appeared  to  be  much  more  burdened  and  reticent 
than  usual. 

Suddenly,  while  they  were  listening  to  the  peculiar  sound  the 
sand,  owing  to  some  special  conditions  of  the  atmosphere,  was  mak- 
ing beneath  their  ponies'  feet,  he  said :  "  Say,  lads,  would  you  like 
to  go  home  ?" 

"  Oh,  don't  mention  that  subject,"  said  Dick,  pained  at  the  ques- 
tion, because  he  and  Jack  had  been  fighting  against  their  homesick- 


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DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I  ! 


ness  all  the  morning.  "  The  very  thought  of  home  is  so  tantalizing, 
that  to  keep  from  getting  blue,  we  have  agreed  to  say  as  little  about 
it  as  possible." 

"  But  you  can  get  there,  if  you  really  have  a  mind  to  try,  and  that, 
too,  in  less  than  forty-eight  hours." 

Astonished  by  his  manner,  as  well  as  by  his  words,  both  Dick  and 
Jack  Instinctively  halted  their  ponies,  and  Dick,  voicing  Jack's  sur- 
prise, as  well  as  his  own,  said :  ••  What  can  you  mean,  Mr.  Boggs, 
when  surely  you  must  know  that  there  is  no  posstble  hope  for 
our  escaping  from  this  place  until  the  arrival  of  the  tender  next 
summer?" 

"  I'll  tell  you  exactly  what  I  mean  ;  I  got  out  one  of  those  old 
charts  the  other  Sunday  and  made  a  complete  study  of  the  lay 
of  this  island  and  of  the  whole  Nova  Scotian  coast  even  down  to 
your  home  at  Black  Point.  And  this  is  what  I  have  to  say :  I  can 
fix  matters  so  that  we  can  get  there  within  the  time  I  have  already 
mentioned." 

"  But  you  are  making  sport  of  us,"  Jack  exclaimed,  impulsively, 
alternating  between  wistfulness  and  indignation. 

"  That  Is  the  last  thing  I  would  do.  my  lad  ;  I  am  dead  In  earnest. 
The  prevailing  winds  at  this  time  of  the  year  are  directly  toward  the 
southern  coast.  With  the  big  doiy,  a  compass,  the  chart,  tar- 
paulins, provisions  and  water,  we  could,  with  her  sails  and  rig 
and  a  favoring  wind,  make  It  In  from  twenty-four  to  thirty 
hours.  Our  sealskin  coats  would  keep  us  from  getting  cold,  and 
there  would  be  little  discomfort  or  danger  to  fear"  And  he 
continued  so  plausibly  and  so  earnestly  that  the  boys  really 
began  to  think  that  their  imprisonment  on  the  island  would  soon 
be  over. 

"  But  would  Captain  Moline  consent?"  asked  Dick.  "  Have  you 
talked  with  him  about  the  plan  ?" 

Boggs  laughed  defiantly,  and  curtly  replied  :  "  Look  here,  you 
fellows,  I  am  not  so  green  as  you  and  the  llfemen  take  me  to  be. 
Of  course  the  whole  plan  must  be  kept  secret ;  and.  furthermore,  we 
must  make  up  our  minds  to  help  ourselves  to  the  things  we  shall 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


185 


need,  which  we  can  very  easily  do  any  night  the  wind  serves  our 
purpose.  The  chief  difficulty  will  be  to  get  through  the  first 
lines  of  surf ;  but,  from  what  1  have  heard  you  say  about  your  deal- 
ings with  the  surf  at  home,  and  from  what  you  accomplished  in 
landing  here  in  safety,  I  am  not  afraid  to  trust  to  your  help  for 
getting  to  the  opeiT  sea,  where  we  can  immediately  lay  our  course 
and  bowl  away.  Think  what  a  grand  surprise  it  would  be  to  your 
parents  to  see  you  back  again  after  giving  you  up  for  lost.  Now, 
what  do  you  say  ?" 

The  devil  is  not  as  dead  as  some  people  would  have  us  think, 
nor  are  some  of  the  old  experiences  of  human  nature  as  impos- 
sible to  modern  life  as  may  be  sometimes  supposed.  To  everyone 
there  comes  a  wilderness  time  of  supreme  temptation  when  the  stuff 
that  is  in  us  breaks  into  brittle  pieces  like  glass,  or  maintains  its 
strength  like  elastic  steel.  The  boys  were  face  to  face  with  their 
temptation. 

"  Say  1"  Dick  indignantly  exclaimed  ;  "  1  say — if  you  are  really  In 
earnest — that  you  are  pls.nning  mutiny " 

"  And  that  you  are  a  thief — and  want  us  to  become  thieves  with 
you,"  Jack  Interrupted,  without  measuring  his  words. 

"  You  young  cur !  Call  me  a  thief — will  you  ?  Take  that  for 
your  impudence  !"  and  Boggs  drew  his  short,  stubby  whip  and  gave 
Jack  a  blow  which  cut  his  right  cheek  to  the  bone. 

The  Carolinian  spirit,  which  had  so  long  slumbered  in  the  veins 
of  the  preachei-sire,  suddenly  awoke  in  the  blood  of  the  sons,  and 
before  the  brutal  Boggs  could  deliver  the  second  blow  he  had  raised 
his  whip  to  give,  Dick,  covering  him  with  his  gun,  quietly  said: 
"  It  you  strike  him  again,  you  cowardly  scoundrel,  you  are  a  dead 
man." 

At  the  same  instant  the  muzzle  of  Jack's  gun  wss  levelled 
directly  at  Boggs'  face,  and  the  man  seeing  his  danger  stooped 
toward  the  back  of  his  pony,  but  only  to  find  that  the  aim  of  the  boys 
followed  his  level. 

"For  God's  sake,  don't  fire,  lads!"  Boggs  cried,  thoroughly 
cowed. 


^J^,•iiAi■*:; 


.4\-l^^,ir 


186 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"  Turn  and  go  back  to  the  station — you  are  our  prisoner,"  Dick 
ordered,  while  both  he  and  Jack  still  covered  him  with  their  aim. 
The  boys  were  so  blindly  angry  that  the  slightest  resistance  on  the 
man's  part  would  have  insured  his  death,  and  another  calamity  would 
have  been  added  to  the  world's  sorrows. 

Moline,  Brown  and  the  giant  were  the  only  men  at  the  station 
when  the  boys  and  their  prisoner  drove  up  to  the  door  and  called  for 
the  captain  to  come  out. 

The  giant  seeing  that  Jack  was  covered  with  blood,  and  surmising 
from  the  whole  posture  of  affairs  that  Boggs  had  wounded  him, 
dragged  the  man  from  his  horse  with  a  single  pull  of  his  stalwart 
hand,  and,  holding  him  as  if  in  a  vice,  hissed  into  his  face  the  ques- 
tion ;     "  Vas  you  do  dot  mit  dot  poy  ?" 

Jumps  had  a  temper  of  his  own,  and  once  aroused  was  not  easily 
quieted  nor  prevented  from  doing  mischief ;  and,  fearing  for  Boggs, 
now  that  he  was  in  Jumps'  grasp,  both  the  captain  and  Brown  went 
to  his  side,  and  Moline  adroitly  changed  the  drift  of  his  feeling  by 
directing  him  to  take  Jack  into  the  station  house  and  look  after  his 
wound. 

••  Oh,  the  cut  is  nothing,"  said  Jack.  "  but  I  have  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  being  a  murderer." 

••  Yes,"  added  Dick,  ••  It  was  a  close  shave  f'^r  both  of  us.  I  thank 
God  that  neither  of  us  fired." 

•'What  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  captain,  dazed  by  the  boys' 
words.  "  Come  Into  the  station  and  explain  yourselves,  while  Jumps 
attends  to  Jack's  cheek." 

Both  boys  despised  tale-telling,  and  when  the  captain  pressed  them 
for  an  explanation,  the  most  that  they  would  say  was  that  Boggs  had 
made  them  angry,  and  that  it  was  by  the  merest  chance  in  the  world 
that  they  had  been  prevented  from  killing  him. 

"  Killing  him  tor  what  ?"  the  captain  persisted. 

Boggs,  thankful  for  his  escape,  and  humiliated  by  his  position,  and, 
more  than  all.  overcome  by  the  magnanimity  of  the  boys,  volunteered 
an  explanation,  and  told  the  whole  story,  from  beginning  to  end,  with 


^I!<SI^!i« 


vmm 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


187 


a  dogged  recklessness  that  placed  his  own  sifle  of  the  case  in  the 
worst  possible  light. 

"The  fact  is,  captain,"  he  said,  at  the  close,  "you  and  the 
men  here  are  all  against  me,  and  turn  from  me  as  if  I  were 
a  dog.  1  couldn't  stand  it  any  longer,  and  determined  that  if 
I  could  secure  the  consent  and  assistance  of  the  boys,  I  would 
attempt  to  escape  to  the  mainland.  The  risk,  I  know,  was  great, 
but  nothing  as  compared  with  the  hell  of  staying  longer  on  the 
island.  I  am  sorry  that  I  struck  Jack — very,  very  sorry,  and 
they  would  have  done  right  if  they  had  killed  me  on  the  spot. 
I  wish  to  God  they  had,  for  I  am  tired — tired  of  living."  And 
the  man  bowed  his  head  upon  the  table,  and,  hiding  his  face,  broke 
into  convulsive  sobs. 

Jack,  turning  from  the  giant,  who  was  dressing  his  wound,  went 
up  to  Boggs,  and,  laying  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder,  said,  in  a  voice 
broken  with  emotion:  **  Oh,  Boggs.  don't  cry.  You  didn't  hurt  me 
much,  after  all.  I  forgive  you,  and  you  must  forgive  me  for  calling 
you  a  thief." 

But  Dick's  anger  was  almost  kindled  afresh  at  the  sight  of  Jack's 
face,  though  he  trembled  when  he  remembered  how  near  he  came 
to  discharging  his  piece  into  Boggs'  heart.  He  was  touched  by 
Jack's  words,  but  not  subdued  by  the  assailant's  sorrow. 

The  rules  of  the  Sable  Island  service  were  imperative,  the 
power  of  the  officials  in  emergencies  absolute,  and  Captain  Mo- 
line  was  not  a  man  to  lightly  forget  either  fact  when  discipline  was 
concerned.  ' 

After  a  long  pause,  he  said,  sternly :  "It  was  a  cowardly  as  well 
as  a  cruel  thing  to  strike  the  lad  such  a  blow  as  that,  and  all  the 
more  so,  because  what  he  said  was  prompted  both  by  honor  and  hon- 
esty. It  is  fortunate  for  both  them  and  you  that  they  restrained 
themselves,  and  that  their  anger  confined  itself  to  marching  you  back 
to  the  station. 

"  But  the  assault  was  the  least  of  your  offenses.  You  would 
have  imperiled  their  lives,  as  well  as  your  own,  by  a  mad  at- 
tempt to  escape  by  means  that  would   only  have  ended   in  dis- 


^i^-^ 


•dXji: 


mm 


188 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


aster ;  and  not  only  so,  but  you  would  have  robbed  the  station  of  ,one 
of  its  most  necessary  boats,  as  well  as  of  your  oath-bound  services, 
and,  by  so  doing,  might  have  caused  the  sacrifice  of  the  lives  of 
any  crew  that  may  possibly  be  cast  upon  the  island  during  the 
winter.  But  what  I  have  to  consider  chiefly,  is  the  fact  that  your 
conduct  contemplated  actual  mutiny  against  the  rules  and  regu- 
lations of  the  service.  I  ought  to  put  you  under  guard  and  send 
you  up  to  the  governor.  If  you  should  be  punished  according  to 
the  regulations,  you  will  be  confined  in  the  guardhouse  till  the  tender 
comes,  and  then  be  sent  to  the  mainland  for  the  final  disposal  of 
your  case. 

••  When  you  planned  this  conspiracy,  you  must  have  been  aware 
of  the  risks  you  were  running.  It  does  not  seem  to  me  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  mere  discontentment  with  your  lot  was  a  suf- 
ficiently strong  motive  to  lead  you  to  do  what  you  have  done. 
I  am  strongly  Inclined  to  believe  that  more  powerful  motives  were 
at  the  bottom  of  the  case.  If,  as  I  suspect,  you  have  some  secret 
which  you  are  anxious  to  conceal,  that  secret  will  in  all  prob- 
ability be  discovered  before  you  get  through  with  the  authorities  at 
Halifax." 

Lifting  a  blanched,  pleading  face  to  the  captain,  Boggs  said: 
*•  For  God's  sake,  captain,  give  me  another  chance !  I'll  not  disap- 
point you.  There  is  a  secret  at  the  bottom  of  my  life — a  wretched 
secret — which  is  the  blight  of  my  existence.  The  main  reason  I 
had  for  asking  to  be  received  into  the  service  here  was  that  I  might 
discipl'ne  myself,  and,  by  devoting  myself  to  the  saving  of  others, 
retrieve  myself  from  the  great  mistakes  I  have  made.  Though  I 
have  discovered  that  no  man  can  flee  from  himself,  I  have  also  dis- 
covered that  tny  only  hope  for  the  future  is  to  be  allowed  to  remain 
here  as  I  originally  proposed.  Let  me  stay,  and,  on  n;y  sacred 
honor,  I'll  be  a  man." 

The  anger  melted  out  of  Dick's  heart  before  the  pleadings  of  the 
penitent,  and  both  he  and  Jack  interceded  for  Boggs  with  an  earn- 
estness which  moved  the  captain  deeply.  Nor  were  they  alone  in 
their  intercessions ;  Brown  and  the  giant,  for  all  they  had  been  so 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


189 


ched 

Lson  I 

nnight 

hers, 

Jgh  I 

,0  dls- 

main 

acred 


hot  against  Boggs  for  his  assault  on  Jack,  and  for  the  risk  he  would 
have  exposed  the  boys  to  in  the  dory,  joined  in  the  plea  for  the  ex- 
ercise of  mercy. 

Moline  was  perplexed  ;  it  was  a  case  in  which  duty  seemed  to  be 
in  irreconcilable  opposition  to  duty.  Jack  virtually  decided  the  case 
by  saying:  *■  It  was  only  talk,  captain  ;  Boggs  didn't  do  a  thing, 
you  know.  If  he  had  been  caught  doing  what  he  talked  about,  it 
would  have  been  different." 

••Exactly!"  exclaimed  Moline;  "there  was  no  overt  act.  and* 
that  gives  me  a  chance  to  try  him  again,  which  1  will  most  gladly 
do,  for  I  fully  believe  that  he  will  keep  his  promise." 

Boggs  was  so  grateful,  it  was  decided  to  keep  the  whole  affair 
from  spreading  further.  When  the  men  asked  Jack  how  he  had  hurt 
his  cheek,  he  turned  their  question  by  intimating  that  the  hold  of  the 
Maskomet  had  no  gas  lights,  and  that  the  ragged  bulkheads  were 
not  accommodating  enough  to  get  out  of  his  way  when  he  went  prowl- 
ing around  in  the  dark. 

As  the  emergency  season — the  time  of  stormy  weather — was 
drawing  on  apace,  it  became  time  for  Boggs.  who  was  signal- 
master,  to  resume  his  control  of  the  main-top  lookout  on  the 
Maskomet.  Availing  themselves  of  this  as  an  opportunity,  the  boys 
asked  the  captain  to  allow  the  signal-master  to  share  the  cabin  with 
them  ;  there  he  would  be  handier  to  his  post,  and  would  also  be  a 
companion  to  them.  Seeing  what  an  ascendency  the  boys  had 
gained  over  the  man,  the  captain  gladly  assented. 

Boggs  watched  the  healing  of  Jack's  face  with  the  greatest  solici- 
tude, and  was  almost  inconsolable  when  he  found  that  a  scar  would 
remain  when  the  wound  was  healed.  •'  That  is  the  way  with  all  our 
evil  deeds,"  he  sadly  remarked.  •*  In  spite  of  all  our  amendments 
the  scars  are  left  behind." 

But  he  was  a  changed  man ;  so  changed,  in  fact,  that  the  men 
quickly  became  more  intimate  with  him  than  ever  before,  and 
found  him  so  genial  and  considerate  that  they  readily  believed  that 
they  themselves  had  been  wanting  in  a  proper  degree  of  charity  and 
fellowship. 


■ftt^t^is^- 


i 
:i 

■1 


190 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


All,  however,  even  the  boys,  as  well  as  the  men,  remained  Ignor- 
ant of  his  history.  Seeing  that  he  was  doing  so  well  In  the  present, 
Dick  and  Jack  never  felt  a  desire  to  make  any  Inquiry  that  would 
resurrect  the  past. 

But  reticent  as  he  was  concerning  all  that  lay  behind  him,  there 
came  a  time  of  revelation  which  had  an  ending  that  w2is  as  unfore- 
seen as  it  was  startling. 


~1 


THE  CAROLINA  REAPPEARS 

ICK.  ahoy!"  Jack  stood  on 
the  deck  of  the  Maskomet 
with  a  dishcloth  In  one  hand 
and  a  tin  pan  in  -the  other,  he 
being  in  the  act  of  finishing  up 
the  clearing  away  of  the  break- 
fast dishes,  while  his  brother 
was  brooming  the  cabin  floor 
and.  otherwise  putting  it  in 
order  for  the  day. 

Dick  obeyed  the  hall,  and 
hastened  out  to  see  what  was 
wanted,  and  retaining  his 
broom  in  hand,  he  asked : 
"What  is  it.  Jack?" 

"  There  Is  the  tub  that  we 
have  heard  father  speak  of  so 
often,"  said  Jack,  pointing  to 
a  dark,  buoyant  object  that  was  floating  up  and  down  the  middle  surf, 
"What  tub?" 

101 


h.^i^. 


iJ|-.i.V:.-.*jf-,'- 


192 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


^t 


"  The  tub  that  was  thrown  to  the  whale." 

*'  What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  do  mean,  for  I  never  could  understand  father 
when  he  talked  about  that  tub.  Why  should  anybody  throw  a  tub  at 
a  whale?" 

Dick  laughed  at  his  brother's  apparent  earnestness,  and  replied  : 
"  When  a  whale  means  mischief,  and  a  boat  is  in  danger  of  being 
attacked  by  him,  the  whalemen  throw  out  a  cask  in  the  hope  that  he 
will  spend  his  fury  in  attacking  that,  rather  than  the  boat.  If  I  were 
about  to  row  you,  and  you  made  me  change  my  mind  by  turning  my 
attention  to  something  trifling,  you'd  be  throwing  a  tub  to  the  whale. 
But  as  I  was  attending  to  my  own  business  I  don't  see  why  you  have 
■flung  that  tub  at  me." 

"  Why,  Dick,  you  explain  things  almost  as  easily  as  Old  Gray 
Blanket  explained  the  visions  of  Daniel,  and  the  horses,  trumpets, 
vials  and  the  seven  thunders  of  Revelation,  only  you  don't  scare  a 
fellow  as  much  as  he  did,  for  he  always  came  at  a  fellow  with  a 
rousing  lick  of  the  bottomless  pit.  I  called  you.  thinking  that  maybe 
that  tub  out  there  would  bear  looking  after.  It  is  coming  in.  There 
comes  the  old  seventh  wave  behirid  it  now  ;  if  she  takes  it  in  the 
curl  of  her  topknot  she'll  fling  it  up  where  we  can  get  a  look  at  it ; 
it  might  be  a  barrel  of  sugar,  you  know." 

"  If  there  was  ever  any  sugar  in  that  cask,  it  has  gone  into  Nep- 
tune's tea  long  before  this  ;  sugar  casks  are  no  more  proof  against 
water  than  they  are  against  boys.  But  look  at  that,  will  you  ?  The 
old  seventh  has  rolled  it  in  and  stood  it  upon  end  as  handsomely  as 
if  she  were  in  the  dray  business  this  morning — the  deceitful  old  hag 
— she'd  as  soon  keel  a  ship  over  as  a  barrel.  Let's  go  down  and 
see  what  the  cask  amounts  to." 

The  cask  proved  to  be  a  water-cask,  thick-staved,  iron-bound,  and 
with  two  heads  as  thick  and  as  solid  as  if  never  a  thought  had  entered 
into  them  to  crack  them.  There  was  not  a  leak  in  it,  for  even  the 
bunghole  was  bunged  up  as  tightly  as  if  the  emptiness  within  were  a 
secret  to  be  sacredly  concealed  from  all  comers. 

"  It  is  just  what  we  want,"  said  Jack,  after  they  had  rolled  it  over 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


193 


ather 
ub  at 

plied : 
being 
lat  he 
[  were 
ngmy 
whale, 
u  have 

A  Gray 
impets, 
scare  a 
r  with  a 
;  maybe 

There 

in  the 
»k  at  it ; 

0  Nep- 
against 
The 
)mely  as 
old  hag 
own  and 

lund,  and 
i  entered 
even  the 
n  were  a 

id  it  over 


and  examined  it,  "  We  can  saw  it  in  two  and  make  two  tignt  tubs 
of  it.  Since  our  return  from  the  palace  with  our  new  clothes  our 
washing  has  increased,  and  with  only  one  tub  between  us.  when  one 
or  the  other  of  us  feels  anyway  lazy  on  washing  day,  there  is 
danger  of  shirking.  With  a  tub  apiece,  and  a  third  one  to  rinse 
things  in,  each  fellow  will  have  to  do  the  plumb-square  thing  by  his 
own  duds." 

But  Dick  rejected  the  plan  as  earnestly  and  quickly  as  he  ignored 
Jack's  insinuations,  and  replied,  with  emphasis:  "No,  sir!  That 
cask  shall  not  be  put  to  any  such  base  use  as  washing— it  has  had 
enough  of  that  already.  Having  come  to  us  from—  nobody  knows 
where — it  shall  be  treated  with  respect.  Though  it  is  empty  itself,  it 
has  put  a  big  idea  into  my  head.  We  will  turn  it  into  a  Cinderella 
chariot  with  a  Carolina  body,  and  the  Carolina  shall  get  upon  her  keel 
again  and  go  sailing  upon  dry  land  as  safe  as  a  pudding  in  a  bag." 

"  A  Cinderella  chariot  with  a  Carolina  body !  What  in  the  name 
of  old  Marm  Maskomet  are  you  lunying  about  now,  Dick?" 

"  Horseback  riding  is  good  enough  for  common  occasions,"  Dick 
went  on,  as  if  Jack  had  not  opened  his  mouth,  "  but  we,  being  the 
chief  officers  of  a  frigate  of  war,  should  put  on  a  little  style  once  in 
awhile.  There  is  that  cask ;  suppose  we  cut  holes  through  the  cen- 
ter of  its  heads.  There  are  the  masts  of  the  Carolina  leaning  up 
against  the  boathouse  ;  we  cut  one  of  them  in  two,  run  the  half  of  it 
through  the  holes,  wedge  it  in  solid,  and  there  you  have  a  big  wheel 
with  its  axletree — a  wheel  that  will  go  over  the  sand  so  smoothly  as 
not  to  leave  a  mark.  With  th5"other  mast  of  the  Carolina  to  make 
a  center  pole  of,  and  plenty  of  stuff  to  make  the  other  fixings  of,  we 
can  rig  that  cask  up  into  a  regular  cart,  and  then  go  over  to  the  south 
beach  and  saw  off  the  bow  of  the  Carolina  and  one  of  her  thwarts  for 
a  seat,  and  with  the  cutwater  forward,  we  can  mount  it  on  our  wheel, 
and  have  a  cart  body  that  will  fit  the  whole  thing  to  a  nicety.  There, 
you  see,  is  your  Cinderella  chariot  with  a  Carolina  body. 

"  Then  there  are  old  sealskins  enough  in  the  wreckhouse  for  us  to 
make  harnesses  out  of  for  Topsy  and  Turvy,  and,  if  we  want  still 
more  style,  there's  old  canv^  enough  there  for  us  to  cut  a  buggy 


194 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


ii 


top  out  of,  so  that  we  can  have  shelter  If  we  should  take  a  notion  to 
go  driving  when  it  rains  or  when  the  sun  is  hot." 

"  By  crackee,  Dick,  your  head  is  bigger  than  the  old  Witch  of 
Endor !  You  are  a  whalin  big  fellow !  I  am  glad  \  threw  that  tub 
at  you,  for,  instead  of  smashing  it  to  pieces,  you  are  going  to  turn  it 
into  the  very  thing  I  have  been  wishing  for.  But  when  the  thing  is 
done,  what  will  Topsy  and  Turvy  say  to  it?" 

The  "thing"  was  don-*. — done  successfully,  and  while  the  boys 
were  driving  toward  the  .  .ation  with  what  remained  of  the  Carolina 
loaded  in  the  half  that  was  being  used  as  a  cart  body.  Jack  said : 
"  This  is  a  queer  piece  of  business— this  making  one  half  of  the 
Carolina  carry  the  other  half." 

"It  is  no  more  than  what  our  bodies  are  doing  every  day,"  Dick 
replied,  and  the  answer  so  confused  Jack  that  he  was  silent  for  sev- 
eral minutes. 

"  That  wheel  is  like  a  broad-church  wheel,"  said  Dick,  looking 
back  to  see  what  impression  was  made  upon  the  sand  by  the  load. 
"  How  do  you  make  that  out?"  Jack  asked. 
"  It  doesn't  leave  any  ruts." 

"  But  it  makes  an  awful  lot  of  squeakings  and  rumblings." 
"  Lots  of  grease  will  remedy  some  of  that  racket;  we  don't  want 
to  get  rid  of  all  of  it,  however,  for  what's  the  use  of  a  chariot  that 
doesn't  make  some  noise  in  the  world?" 

When  the  Cinderella  chariot  with  the  Carolina  body  arrived  at  the 
station,  the  men  greeted  it  with  cheers  and  followed  it  till  it  drove 
triumphantly  through  the  Maskomet's  side  into  the  hold  of  the  hulk. 
The  moment  the  ponies  were  released,  they  kicked  up  their  heels 
and  scampered  away  for  the  dunes,  where,  doubtless,  they  made 
their  protests  in  private  against  the  ruthless  invasion  of  Sable  Island 
customs  and  traditions. 

Bingo  snuffed  around  the  new  "  contraption,"  but,  not  having  head 
enough,  at  first,  to  understand  it,  he  raised  the  hair  on  his  back 
belligerently,  scratched  the  sand  with  his  fore  paws  contemptuously, 
kicked  it  behind  him  defiantly,  and,  after  barking  once  or  twice  dis- 
gruntedly,  he  marched  out  of  the  hold.*  and,  throwing  himself  down 


H 

m 
o 


m 

70 

m 

r 
r 
> 

o 

> 

70 
O 
r 


.-V;-S>-?1-- 


ii! 


-' 


4! 


i 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


197 


In  the  open  air,  vented  his  dissatisfaction  by  waging  war  against  his 
own  troubles,  which,  in  the  shape  of  fleas,  had  been  aroused  into 
sudden  activity  by  the  warmth  of  skin  produced  by  the  physical  vigor 
of  his  protests  against  innovations. 

"Cinderella  Carolina!"  exclainned  jumps,  with  pride,  "  dot  vas 
sound  as  nice  as  pretzels  und  limberger,  don't  she  ?  Und  ven  mein 
pony  Luther  don't  hold  me  up,  I  gits  me  into  Cinderella  Carolina 
und  trives  up  dot  peach  like  mein  Emperor  in  Sharmany." 

Brown,  '•  the  tailor,"  fitted  Cinderella  Carolina  with  a  canvas  bon- 
net, or  top.  with  side  flaps  that  left  nothing  to  be  desired  as  to  the 
fashion  of  her  make  up,  and  the  boys,  who,  by  means  of  the  patrol 
mail,  kept  up  a  lively  correspondence  with  the  womenettes  at  the 
palace,  gave  a  minute  and  glowing  account  of  the  new  vehicle,  and 
promised  that  if  the  little  women  would  visit  the  Maskomet,  they 
should  be  treated  to  rides  befitting  their  royal  blood. 

The  restoration  of  the  Carolina  to  usefulness  opened  up  a  new 
field  of  employment  and  amusement  to  the  boys.  They  made  almost 
daily  excursions  after  drift.  Bingo,  having  overcome  his  prejudice 
against  the  new-fangled  invention  that  went  about  on  a  single  wheel 
and  carried  the  half  of  a  boat  for  a  body,  and,  having  discovered  that 
the  boys'  mission  was  that  of  saving  things,  became  their  inseparable 
companion. 

It  was  not  until  they  began  this  work  of  picking  up  stuff  for  their 
winter  fuel,  that  they  noticed  the  amount  and  variety  of  material 
that  was  cast  up  by  the  sea,  especially  on  the  south  side  of  the 
island,  which  was  nearest  the  gulf  stream.  The  employment  came 
to  have  almost  as  much  fascination  for  them  as  a  game  of  chance. 

There  were  boards  and  shingles,  broken  slabs  and  timbers,  wrested 
fragments  of  wrecks  and  tangled  bits  of  rigging.  Some  of  the  ma- 
terial was  comparatively  fresh  and  recent,  but  most  of  It  was  covered 
with  barnacles  that  certified  how  long  it  had  been  floating  about  the 
pathless  ocean.  Everything  that  was  portable  they  piled  into  the 
Cinderella  Carolina,  and  transported  it  to  the  Maskomet  for  fuel. 

Now  and  then  they  came  across  a  bit  of  bru'?hwood,  a  branch  or 
tree,  and  these  they  took  to  the  statlDn  and  stuck  into  the  sand  as 


kt 


198 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


reminders  of  the  mainland  woods.  True,  they  were  sorry  reminders, 
seeing  that  none  of  them  retained  a  vestige  of  their  original  foliage, 
but  when  one  is  far  from  home  the  mewing  of  a  cat  will,  from  the 
effects  of  association,  sometimes  sound  as  sweet  as  the  music  of  a 
prima  donna. 

Occasionally  they  picked  up  an  apple  or  an  orange  that  proved  to 
be  nearly  as  fresh  as  if  it  had  just  fallen  from  the  native  branch. 
One  day.  to  his  great  delight,  Jack  picked  up  a  hen's  egg,  which, 
notwithstanding  the  tossings  of  the  waves  and  the  violence  of  the  surf, 
had  made  a  safe  landing  upon  the  beach. 

"Throw  it  down,  Jack!"  Dick  cried  in  alarm  ;  "  it's  a  bad  egg 
that  floats,  and  it  will  be  a  busted  one,  too,  as  soon  as  it  begins  to 
feel  the  warmth  of  your  hands." 

Jack  flung  it  down  in  such  a  hurry  that  it  went  off  with  the  report 
of  a  pistol,  and  the  perfume  of  a — of — of — a  bad  egg.  "  My  graci- 
ous, goodness !"  Jack  growled,  as  he  and  Dick  ran  to  save  their 
noses,  "  I  didn't  know  that  it  was  loaded.'" 

That  same  afternoon  Bingo,  foraging  along  the  upper  beach,  some 
distance  in  advance  of  the  boys,  came  proudly  back,  holding  a  pump- 
kin by  the  stem  ;  and  that  nignt,  having  no  milk  with  which  to 
attempt  a  pumpkin  pie,  they  did  tKe  next  best  thing,  made  a  demon's 
head  of  it,  and  illuminating  it  with  a  candle  in  the  most  approved 
boy-fashion,  they  placed  it  on  Marm  Maskomet's  weather-beaten 
head  and  retired  to  the  cabin  to  await  results. 

When  Jumps  made  his  usual  evening  visit  to  the  •)oys  the  fear- 
some thing  glared  at  him  so  satanically,  that,  terrified  and  trembling, 
he  rushed  into  the  boys'  room,  crying:  "You  vas  git  out  uv  dis 
pooty  qvick;  der  tuyfel  is  mit  der  ship's  nose,  und  she  vas  go  inter 
dot  sea  and  make  anudder  Flyin'  Tutchman.  und  you  vas  never  git 
home  no  more." 

When  the  boys,  seeing  that  he  was  really  frightened,  explained 
that  the  visitor  was  only  a  pumpkin  picked  up  from  the  beach,  the 
giant  collapsed  into  a  long,  hollow  sigh  ;  but  while  they  were  apolo- 
gizing he  filled  himself  with  a  fresh  breath  and  burst  into  a  thunder- 
ous roll  of  yo,  ho,  hos,  which  continued  so  long  and  violently  that 


.;irL>A<IU'Uy  ' 


^^M- 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


199 


^■ 


the  boys  were  more  alarmed  than  if  he  had  continued  sighing  till  the 
morning. 

When  he  ceased  his  mirth,  he  mopped  the  sweat  from  his  brow 
and  nrarched  out  of  the  cabin,  saying:  "  I  vas  git  dot  punking  vor 
meinselluf,  und  she  vas  hafe  soom  pie  mit  her  right  etvay." 

How  it  was  done,  the  boys  never  knew,  but  the  next  day  they  got 
a  pie  which  they  ate  with  as  much  relish  as  if  it  had  been  a  fresh 
shipment  from  home  direct — a  "punkin"  pie  of  blameless  reputa- 
tion, for  all  its  contents  had  played  the  "  tuyfel  "  with  Jumps'  fears. 

Ore  day,  the  boys  found  among  the  drift  the  framework  and  be- 
draggled tail  of  a  large  kite,  whicn  suggested  a  kiting  frolic.  With 
a  little  trouble,  the  kite  was  put  in  good  shape  and  launched  Into  the 
sky  with  signal  success,  for  its  appearance  was  the  signal  for  one  of 
the  greatest  commotions  the  island  had  ever  known.  The  seals 
along  the  beach  plunged  into  the  surf  when  they  saw  it  capering  over 
their  heads ;  the  gulls  went  into  a  congress  over  it ;  the  ducks  rose 
en  masse  from  the  lake  and  sought  for  safety  by  alighting  in  the  sea 
at  a  long  distance  from  the  island ;  the  sand  birds  crouched  under 
bunches  of  beach  grass  and  shut  their  bills  so  tight  that  not  a  single 
peep  escaped  them ;  the  tame  ponies  went  wild  over  the  antics  of 
the  kite,  and  the  wild  ones  galloped  among  the  dunes  and  neighed 
and  snorted  with  a  fury  that  was  unprecedented.  The  lookout  at  the 
midway  house  reported  that  an  albatross  had  been  seen  hovering 
over  the  island  and  the  pious  Scot,  the  one  who  didn't  like  to  have 
the  "  dignity  of  royalty"  travestied,  gravely  warned  his  mates  that 
disaster  impended  as  a  punishment  for  their  levity.  The  rumors  of 
the  wonder  grew  to  such  proportions,  that  by  the  time  they  reached 
the  palace  end  of  the  island,  some  of  the  lifemen  had  it,  that  an 
angel  with  a  long  trumpet  had  been  seen  flying  through  the  sky,  and, 
consequently,  the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand,  and  there  they  were 
cooped  up  on  an  Island  with  no  means  of  escape.  Surgeon  McDon- 
ald, who  had  such  a  scientific  horror  of  all  mysteries  and  omens, 
and  such  a  terrier-like  faculty  for  tracing  things  back  to  their  origin, 
wrote  the  boys  a  letter  asking  them  if  they  had  been  doing  any  kiting 
down  their  way  recently ;  and  when  he  received  their  affirmative  an- 


■y- 


'it. 

■  ^. 

y-A- 


¥ 


200 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


il! 


swer,  he  lectured  the  life  crew  in  good  square  words  of  Scotch  plain- 
ness against  the  folly  and  evils  of  superstitions,  and  laughed  at  the 
womenettes  for  allowing  the  pranks  of  a  pair  of  boys  to  set  them  to 
whispering  about  flying  ghosts. 

Little  by  little,  the  various  rumors  sifted  back  to  the  lifemen  of 
the  eastern  end,  but  with  such  additions  that  it  was  next  to  impos- 
sible to  connect  them  with  the  advent  of  the  kite,  so  that  tor  awhile 
the  boys,  cowered  by  what  they  had  heard  about  uncanny  things  re- 
ported to  be  wandering  among  the  dunes,  stuck  close  to  their  quar- 
ters at  night,  and  held  subdued  consultations  with  tiie  giant  concern- 
ing the  terror  that  couldn't  be  resolved  into  any  such  thing  as  a 
harmless  "  punkin  "  joke. 

Meanwhile,  a  big  drift  had  come  on  shore  near  the  midway  house 
which  caused  a  new  excitement  for  awhile ;  this  was  a  derelict,  a 
schooner  which  had  been  abandoned  at  sea  by  the  crew.  The  men 
succeeded  in  boarding  it,  but  found  no  trace  of  life  save  a  large 
emaciated  white  cat,  with  pink  eyes,  cropped  ears  and  a  hideous 
pug-dog  face.  The  cat  was  adopted  by  the  men,  but  its  face  caused 
such  a  fresh  stock  of  rumors  to  start  on  the  island,  that  the  surgeon, 
that  zealous  conservator  of  the  truth,  visited  the  wonder,  and  declared 
that  the  face  of  the  cat,  instead  of  owing  its  sinister  looks  to  com- 
panionship with  evil  beings  or  witches,  had  derived  its  ugliness  from 
fractured  nasal  bones,  which  no  one  had  ever  taken  the  trouble  to 
reset.  He  wanted  to  adopt  the  creature  into  his  happy  family  at  the 
palace,  but  the  men  said  that  the  cat  looked  so  wise,  and  there  was 
so  little  wisdom  at  the  midway  house,  they  preferred  to  keep  it.  ^ 

After  this  came  a  bottle  excitement,  which,  for  another  while, 
served  to  keep  Sable  Island  intellects  from  becoming  stagnant. 

In  one  of  the  boys'  "  Cinderella  Carolina,  Topsy  Turvy  excur- 
sions," as  the  men  had  begun  to  call  them,  Jack  saw  a  nose  peep- 
ing trom  the  sand,  and,  on  pulling  at  it.  he  drew  out  a  ginger-ale 
bottle  securely  forked,  wired  and  sealed.  Curiosity  was  immedi- 
ately excited  by  the  fact  that  there  was  something  inside  wrapped  in 
an  oil-silk  envelop.  When  they  reached  the  station,  the  contents 
proved  to  be  a  paper  signed  by  three  students  of  Marietta  College, 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


201 


Ohio.  The  substance  of  the  paper  was  that  the  bottle  had  been 
thrown  into  the  Oiiio  river  by  the  students  as  an  experiment.  There 
was  a  request  that  if  the  bottle  should  be  picked  up  on  either  the 
Ohio  or  the  Mississippi,  it  should  be  reconsigned  to  the  water  after 
the  finders  had  affixed  their  signatures  and  the  da.;'*  to  blank  spaces 
left  for  that  purpose.  It  appeared  from  the  signatures  ihat  the  bottle 
had  been  picked  up  four  times  before  it  reached  the  open  waters  of 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  There  was  also  a  request  that  if  the  bottle 
should  be  found  at  sea,  or  should  reach  a  maritime  landing,  it  should 
be  forwarded  to  the  president  of  ^arietta  College,  with  a  brief  ac- 
count containing  the  date  and  circumstances  of  the  recovery  of  the 
bottle.  It  had  been  six  years  since  the  first  signatures  were  attached 
to  the  paper.  Where  had  it  been  all  that  time  ?  How  long  had  it 
been  on  the  island?  Every  man  began  to  speculate  on  its  voyage, 
and  nearly  every  man  had  a  story  to  tell  about  sealed  bottles  com- 
mitted to  the  sea,  and  some  of  the  stories  were  so  great  that  the 
marvel  was  how  they  ever  got  into  bottles  that  were  so  small. 

The  boys,  after  adding  their  brief  memorandum  to  the  paper, 
sealed  the  bottle  up  again,  and  determined  to  takt  it  with  them  to 
the  mainland  and  return  it,  as  directed,  to  the  college  whence  it 
originally  started. 

"  Say,  Dick !"  exclaimed  Jack,  quite  excitedly.  "  What's  to  hinder 
us  from  bottling  a  papci  telling  where  we  are,  and  setting  it  afloat  ?" 

"  Nothing,"  Dick  replied,  "  but  there  are  a  good  many  things  to 
hinder  our  message  from  ever  being  heard  of  at  home.  In  the  first 
place,  things  don't  go  to  sea  from  here,  they  come  on  shore  to  stay. 
I  fancy  myself  trying  to  beat  the  surf  with  a  bottle.  It  would  come 
back  to  us  a  good  deal  quicker  than  the  bad  penny  that  people  tell 
us  about.  In  the  second  place,  If  it  were  possible  for  it  to  get  to 
sea,  it  might  take  a  notion  to  voyage  around  the  world  or  go  on  a 
hunt  for  the  north  pole.  And,  in  the  third  place— but  what's  the 
use  of  guessing?  You  might  go  on  till  you  had  as  many  heads  to 
your  guessing  as  father  has  to  some  of  his  sermons.  We  will  con- 
fine our  bottle  business  to  getting  this  one  back  to  Ohio  again. 
They  r,ay  that  Ohio  men — at  least  that  Is  what  father  says — are 


.->^£ 


4 

-li: 


m\ 


I 


202 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


great  thinkers  and  talkers,  and  the  bottle  will  give  them  something 
that's  worth  thinking  of  and  talking  about." 

"  And  get  us  into  the  papers,  like  enough,"  suggested  Jack,  am- 
bitiously. 

"  Oh.  if  that  is  what  you  are  thinking  of,  I  guess  our  names  have 
been  in  the  papers  often  enough  since  we  have  turned  up  among  the 
missing.  And  now,  that  we  are  where  we  can't  get  ourselves  into 
any  more  scrapes,  tor  awhile,  at  least,  some  of  the  papers  have  prob- 
ably spoken  of  us  as  the  best  pair  of  boys  that  ever  went  under  the 
sod  or  the  sea.  You  know  you  never  can  tell  how  good  some  boys 
are  until  you  read  it  on  their  tombstones." 

"  Mercy,  Dick !  such  talk  as  that  is  worse  than  swearing ;  if  I  felt 
as  sarcastic  as  you  seem  to  feel,  I'd  say  damn  or  devil  right  out  and 
done  with  it." 

"  Sh — belay  there.  Jack !  or  you'll  be  swearing  before  you  know  it. 
And  that  is  the  way  things  go  sometimes — the  way  bad  things  are 
clubbed  is  worse  than  the  bad  things  themselves.  But  look  here,  old 
fellow,  I've  got  another  trip  underway  for  the  Cinderella  Carolina." 

"  Trip  her  out,  then,  for  I'd  a  good  deal  rather  play  than  preach 
any  time." 

"  You  have  heard  the  men  speak  about  that  whale  that  came 
ashore  twelve  miles  up  the  south  beach.  We'll  drive  up  there  to- 
morrow and  take  a  look  at  it ;  they  say  it's  a  whopper.  We'll  take 
the  axe  with  us,  and  perhaps  we  can  chop  out  some  whalebone." 

"  But  we  don't  want  any  whalebone :  we  don't  wear  corsets." 

"  Well,  the  wooden  squaw  at  the  bow  of  the  Maskomet  needs  to 
have  her  figure  reefed  in  a  bit,  and  we  might  make  a  pair  of  corsets 
for  her,  you  know.  There  is  lots  of  old  canvas  in  the  wreckhouse 
that  we  might  use — in  fact,  while  we  are  about  it,  we  might  make 
her  a  petticoat  long  enough  to  cover  her  legs^nd  keep  them  out  of 
the  cold  when  winter  comes  on.  But,  seriously,  if  we  could  get 
some  whalebone,  we  might  spend  the  winter  evenings  making  a  cane 
for  father  and  some  pretty  trinkets  for  the  children.  The  men  have 
already  been  chopping  into  it,  so  they  tell  me." 

•'What  for?" 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


203 


ethlng 

<,  am- 

s  have 
)ng  the 
5S  into 
e  prob- 
ier  the 
ne  boys 

if  1  felt 
out  and 

* 
know  it. 
ings  are 
lere,  old 
arolina." 
\  preach 

at  came 
here  to- 
;'ll  take 
one." 
ts." 

needs  to 
)f  corsets 
jckhouse 
ht  make 
m  out  of 
:ou1q  get 
r»g  a  cane 
nen  have 


"  Hunting  for  ambergris." 

"  I  should  think  that  they'd  get  enough  of  that  without  going  to  a 
whale  for  it,  when  everything  in  the  shape  of  brass  and  copper  is 
covered  with  the  nasty  smelling  stuff." 

"  You  are  talking  about  verdigris,  and  I  am  talking  about  amber- 
gris, The  one  is  a  nasty,  poisonous,  worthless  nuisance  ;  the  other 
makes  one  of  the  best  perfumes  in  the  world,  and  Dr.  McDonald  told 
me  one  day  at  the  palace,  while  speaking  of  the  search  of  the  men. 
which  he  superintended,  that  it  was  also  good  for  fits  of  all  kinds,  and 
worth  more  than  five  hundred  dollars  a  pound." 

"  Gracious  !    Crackee !     Did  they  get  any?" 

"  No  ;  it  isn't  found  in  every  whale,  you  know  ;  it  is  found  only  in 
sick  whales,  but  not  in  every  sick  whale ;  the  one  up  yonder  was 
killed  by  sickness,  the  doctor  said,  but  there  was  no  ambergris  in  it." 

"Well,  I'd  be  willing  to  be  sick  for  a  day  or  two  for  the  sake  of 
making  forty  or  fifty  pounds  of  ambergris — wouldn't  you  ?" 

"  No,  sir !  Ambergris  is  made  on  the  inside  of  the  whale — it  is  a 
disease  of  the  liver — no,  I  mean  the  intestines — as  the  doctor  said — 
and  it  plays  such  mischief  with  the  inside  that  I'd  rather  not  have 
myself  turned  into  an  ambergris  factory.  He  says  it's  nothing  but  a 
sort  of  grayish  fat,  for  all  it  makes  such  a  fat  haul  for  any  one  who 
is  lucky  enough  to  find  it." 

"  Perhaps  the  men  didn't  look  in  the  right  place  for  it,  and  there 
may  be  some  there,  and  if  we  should  find  it  we  might  get  enough  to 
induce  father  to  move  away  from  that  horrid  old  Black  Point." 

"  If  we  get  away  from  here  with  our  lives  I  shall  be  thankful 
enough  without  bothering  myself  with  baggage  of  any  kind.  Besides, 
if  Dr.  McDonald  could  not  find  anything,  you  may  depend  upon  it 
we  can't ;  that  is,  nothing  of  value." 

They  made  the  trip  to  the  whale,  which  they  found  in  such  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  decomposition  that  Jack  held  to  his  nose  and  wished 
that  he  had  a  pair  of  corks  to  stop  it  up  altogether.  "  Thunder, 
Dick !"  he  exclaimed,  "  I'd  as  soon  think  of  bathing  in  codllver  oil 
for  a  good  scent  as  to  think  of  digging  into  that  whale  for  anythinj? 
that  smells  good.    But  it's  a  ripper  of  a  fish.' 


•  • 


•yMrsmH^Jam 


204 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTUREri 


y !  ii 


'fHi 


"  Sixty-nine  feet  long,  the  surgeon  said ;  and  he  measured  it  with 
a  tape  line.  It's  a  spermaceti  whale,  you  know.  They  said  there 
was  a  pile  of  blubber  on  it  when  it  came  ashore ;  if  the  guUs  keep 
on  picking  at  it  there'll  soon  be  a  skeleton  there  that  I  shouldn't 
like  to  hang  in  any  closet  I  owned." 

••  Tell  you  what,  Dick,  if  the  thing  were  clean  enough  inside  we 
would  move  into  it  for  a  few  days  just  for  the  sake  of  proving  that 
one  can  live  in  a  whale." 

"  One !  Why,  there  is  room  enough  in  that  fellow  for  Jonah  and 
all  the  prophets  and  their  grandchildren  and  a  prayer-meeting  be- 
sides. If  Noah  had  be  ^  sharp  enough,  he  might  have  saved  him- 
self the  trouble  of  building  an  ark,  by  scooping  out  the  insides  of  one 
of  these  fellows  and  making  room  for  the  other  creatures  that  were 
to  be  saved  from  the  flood." 

"  A  fish  of  that  size  must  have  an  awful  time  when  it  gets  sick — 
there  is  so  much  of  it  for  the  pains  to  go  through.  If  the  surgeon 
undertook  to  doctor  a  patient  of  that  kind,  he'd  have  to  give  about 
one  hundred  gallons  to  the  dose,  and  his  pills  would  have  to  be  ten 
or  twelve  feet  in  diameter ;  and  if  he  wanted  to  apply  a  plaster  to  the 
back,  he  would  have  to  buy  sticking  plaster  by  the  acre.  But  let's 
get  out  of  this,  Dick,  It's  making  me  sick — sick  at  my  stomach — 
and  will  lay  me  out  completely  If  we  stay  here  much  longer.  I 
don't  want  the  lifemen  to  come  here  and  go  to  hunting  for  amber- 
gris in  me  " 

"  But,  the  whalebone ;  let's  get  some  of  that  before  we  go." 

They  went  to  the  cavernous  jaws,  which  were  about  half  opened, 
but,  after  taking  a  peep  within,  and  taking  one  sniff  of  the  powerful 
odor  that  prevailed,  they  abandoned  their  purpose  and  turned  their 
ponies'  heads  in  the  direction  of  the  station  again,  loading  up  with 
small  driftwood  as  they  went. 


It  with 
i  there 
5  keep 
louldn't 

iide  we 
ng  that 

nah  and 
ting  be- 
ed  him- 
js  of  one 
hat  were 

ts  sick— 
i  surgeon 
[ve  about 
to  be  ten 
ter  to  the 

But  let's 
:omach — 

onger.     I 
)r  aniber- 

go- 

f  opened, 

powerful 

rned  their 

g  up  with 


^C>i 


THE  WINTER 
OP  THEIR  DISCONTENT 

HE  boys  had  just  made  a 
breakfast  of  ship  biscuit, 
salt  junk  and  black  cof- 
fee. Jack  was  in  a  growl- 
ing mood,  because  the 
flesh  pots  were  growing 
more  and  more  limited 
in  their  supplies.  Novem- 
ber had  come,  and  with 
it  came  many  changes  in 
the  sources  of  their  sup- 
plies.  "What,"  he  asked 


of  Dick,  "  are  we  going  to  do  for  broiled  pipers,  stewed  plovers 
and  pied   curlews  now  ?     A  few  days  ago  the  sand-birds  whistled 


205 


206 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


among  the  dunes  all  the  day  long,  and  now  there  isn't  so  much  as  a 
feather  of  them  to  be  seen.     What  has  become  ot  them  ?" 

"  Why;  don't  you  remember  how  suddenly  they  used  to  leave  us 
at  Black  Point?"  Dick  replied,  somewhat  at  sea  himself  as  to  the 
future  of  their  table.  "  It  is  a  mysterious  piece  of  business.  Now 
you  see  them  and  now  you  don't.  How  do  they  know  when  to  go. 
and  how  Is  it  that  they  all  go  together,  as  if  the  whole  thing  were 
settled  in  a  public  meeting,  and  they  had  received  orders  to  go  with- 
out stopping  to  bid  anybody  good-by  ?  By  this  time  some  of  them 
have  taken  up  new  quarters  in  the  Southern  States,  some  in  the 
West  Indies,  some  in  other  islands  of  the  sea,  and  more  than  likely 
some  of  them  are  now  courting  and  piping  along  the  shores  of 
Africa." 

"  But  winter  is  just  the  time  that  we  shall  need  them  most,  and  I 
think  it's  real  mean  for  them  to  leave  us  at  this  time  of  the  year." 
Like  some  other  people  of  larger  growth.  Jack  was  inclined  to  judge 
of  the  arrangements  of  Nature  by  the  cravings  of  his  appetite — and 
it  is  fortunate  for  the  world  in  general  that  the  stomachs  of  one  place 
can't,  by  their  selfishness,  rob  the  stomachs  of  other  places  of  their 
share  of  the  good  things  that  Nature,  with  an  impartial  hand,  dis- 
tributes over  the  face  of  creation. 

"  I  guess  that  it  is  all  right  as  it  is,"  said  Dick,  with  a  kind  of  dis- 
contented submission  to  tne  inevitable,  "  but  we  shall  miss  them 
awfully — they  made  such  splendid  eating." 

The  ducks  and  wild  geese  lingered  a  little  later,  and  the  gulls,  the 
only  useless  ones  among  them  all.  were  the  very  last  to  go.  When 
they  went,  the  precise  moment  of  their  departure  was  unobserved 
and  unknown.  Keen  eyes,  however,  if  they  had  watched  closely, 
could  have  discovered  signs  days  in  advance  of  the  pending  flight 
and  migration  of  the  winged  multitudes.  The  fowl  were  as  noisy 
and  talkative  as  members  of  congress  just  before  the  close  of  a  ses- 
sion. There  were  gatherings  and  marshallings  by  tribes  and  princi- 
palities and  powers  in  heavenly  places — marshallings  by  families 
from  parents  and  children  back  and  up  to  all  the  great-great  great- 
great-grandfathers  and  grandmothers  and  first-second  third — thirtieth 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


207 


h  as  a 

ave  us 
to  the 
Now 
to  go. 
g  were 
0  with- 
f  them 
J  in  the 
n  likely 
ores  of 

,t.  and  1 
J  year." 
to  judge 
Xe — and 
ne  place 
of  their 
ind,  dis- 

|d  of  dis- 
ss them 


cousin  of  the  generation,  and  the  short  flights  they  made,  and  the 
violent  noises  they  emitted,  while  poised  in  the  sky,  were  doubtless 
all  preliminary  to  the  sudden  final  flight  which,  to  the  boys,  seemed 
to  be  so  unmannerly  and  mysterious. 

The  absence  of  the  winged  hosts  made  Sable  Island  appear  more 
lonely  than  ever,  and  the  surf  came  all  the  more  dismally  in  because 
there  was  not  so  much  as  a  tiny  peeper  to  nod  his  head,  shake  his 
straw-like  legs  and  open  his  nipper-like  beak  for  the  sharp  notes 
which,  sdl  along,  had  bid  defiance  to  the  sullen  roar  of  the  surf. 

The  guns  were  of  no  further  use ;  their  detonations  ceased  to 
echo  among  the  dunes,  and  the  boys  hung  them  in  their  cabin  and 
abandoned  them  to  the  silence  of  their  thoughts  And  it  is  well 
they  did,  for  Heaven  knows  that  during  the  time  they  had  been  used 
they  had  made  noise  enough  to  satisfy  even  the  cracker-loving  ear  of 
a  genuine  Chinaman. 

True,  the  seals  remained,  and  in  great  numbers  held  their  daily 
assemblages  and  pow-wows  up  and  down  the  beaches,  but,  although 
the  boys  were  willing  to  wear  the  sealskin  coats,  which  were  now  so 
comfortable,  nothing  could  induce  them  to  point  a  gun  at  a  seal ; 
they  had  watched  them  so  much  and  so  closely,  and  had  discovered 
that  some  of  their  antics  were  so  grotesquely  human,  that  shooting 
at  them  would  have  seemed  like  shooting  into  a  band  of  unsuspect- 
ing children.  The  seals  were  company,  and  they  were  treated  ac- 
cordingly. Even  Bingo  watched  them  with  paternal  interest,  and  the 
giant  had  so  many  tales  to  tell  about  their  peculiar  ways  that  Dick 
and  Jack  began  to  think  that  seals  were  distant  relatives  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  and  that  they  had  made  such  a  constant  use  of  skins  for 
garments  that  they  became  a  part  of  themselves,  thus  saving  theni 
the  necessity  of  making  their  toilets  by  robbing  other  creatures  of 
their  clothes. 

Their  partiality  for  seals  was  one  day  much  increased  by  an  exhi- 
bition that  the  giant  gave.  Finding  that  the  boys  were  getting  rather 
low-spirited,  Jumps,  who  could  play  the  clarinet  with  more  than 
ordinary  skill,  after  playing  for  them  one  afternoon,  when  they  had 


^™^ 


208 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


i 


been  moping  In  the  cabin,  said:  "  If  you  vas  follow  me,  she  vas 
show  you  vat  her  don't  never  see  pefore." 

Taking  his  instrument  with  him,  he  led  them  slowly  along  the 
upper  beach  in  the  direction  of  an  army  of  seals  that  laid  just 
far  enough  up  the  beach  to  allow  the  spent  surf  to  play  among 
their  tails. 

"Now,  you  vas  stay  pehint  me,  und  den  she  vas  see  vat  dem  mer- 
maids do?"  Playing  plaintively  on  his  clarinet,  while  they  stood 
perfectly  still,  the  music  immediately  caused  the  seals  to  scramble 
over  one  another  in  their  haste  to  get  nearer  to  the  source  of  the 
sounds  with  which  they  seemed  to  be  fascinated.  As.  the  giant 
stood  there  facing  the  seals,  puffing  his  cheeks  and  keeping  his  eyes 
steadily  upon  his  listeners,  he  might  have  been  taken  for  the  god 
Pan  playing  snatches  from  the  music  of  the  spheres  for  the  benefit 
of  both  animate  and  inanimate  creation.  The  boys  looked  upon  him 
with  a  feeling  amounting  to  awe,  and,  remembering  some  of  the 
stories  they  had  read  about  the  wizards  of  the  Black  Forest  of  Ger- 
many, they  began  to  think  that  one  of  them  had  come  to  Sable 
Island  to  practice  his  pranks  amid  the  sandy  solitudes  of  that  forbid- 
ding place.  And  their  impressions  were  deepened  when  they  noticed 
that  a  herd  of  wild  ponies  had  mounted  a  dune  not  far  away,  where 
they,  too,  intently  listened  to  the  pipings  of  the  giant. 

When  Jumps  ceased  playing,  there  were  so  many  signs  of  protest 
among  the  seals  that  their  gruntings  and  movement  of  flippers 
amounted  to  a  positive  encore,  and  the  giant  resumed  his  music 
and  puffed  his  cheeks  till  both  his  wind  and  patience  were  ex- 
hausted. 

The  giant  stopped,  and,  addressing  the  seals  in  his  big  voice,  said  : 
"She  don't  hafe  no  more  music  right  ervay  dis  time;  nodi  till  I 
cooms  anudder  tay  mit  some  more  vind  in  dot  chest." 

Thereupon  the  seals  broke  for  the  surf,  and  the  ponies  for  the 
dunes,  and  disappeared  as  if  by  magic.  This  part  of  the  perform- 
ance was  so  indescribably  ludicrous,  that  Jack,  after  laughing  at  them 
heartily,  said :  "  Why,  jumps,  what  made  them  go  off  In  such  a 
hurry?" 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


209 


he  vas 

)ng  the 

lid  just 

among 

m  mer- 
y  stood 
sramble 
i  of  the 
[le  giant 
his  eyes 
the  god 
e  benefit 
upon  him 
e  of  the 
t  of  Ger- 
to  Sable 
at  forbid- 
jy  noticed 
^y,  where 


jice.said: 
^odi  till  I 

ts  for  the 
perform- 
Ig  at  them 
pn  such  a 


"  Yo,  ho,  ho!"  laughed  the  giant.  "  She  vas  dinks  dot  you  vas 
gonter  dake  up  a  gollection  vor  mein  bay.  Dot  music  vas  dickle  her 
ears,  put  nodt  her  bocketpook,  don't  it?" 

"  How  did  you  find  out  that  the  seals  loved  music  ?"  Dick  asked. 

"  Veil,  dot  vas  dis  vay :  Pooty  soon  ven  I  vas  get  in  dis  place  I 
veels  like  dot  chiggens  vat  don't  hafe  no  hen  vor  a  mudder.  Und  1 
dakes  mein  bipe  und  mein  glarinet  und  goes  down  mit  der  peach, 
und  I  smokes  und  smokes  dill  I  don't  vant  to  smoke  some  more. 
Und  I  looks  over  dot  sea  dill  mein  eyes  vas  vet  as  dot  surf,  cos  I  vas 
hafe  nobuddy  und  noddins  to  lofe  him.  Und  po-Zy  soon  I  pegins  to 
blay  dot  music  yoost  as  I  vgs  veeling,  und,  py  Moses !  vat  you 
dinks?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  couldn't  guess  for  an  age,"  said  Jack,  whose  eyelids 
were  trying  their  best  to  keep  decently  dry. 

"Veil,  vile  I  vas  blayin',  dose  gray  hets  mit  dose  plack  eyes  bob 
up  in  dot  surf  und  look  so  soft  I  vas  sure  she  vas  mein  frents ;  und  1 
vas  blayed  some  more  right  ervay,  und  dem  seal  coom  gloser — und 
gloser — und  gloser  some  more,  und  I  blayed — und  blayed — und 
blayed  some  more  dill  I  vas  hafe  no  bret  left  in  mein  pody.  Und  dey 
vas  vait  so  long  vor  me,  I  vas  blayed  und  blayed  some  more,  und 
den  dey  vas  coom  so  glose  I  vas  dink  dot  dey  vas  dake  me  unter  dot 
sea  mit  dem,  und  I  runs  as  if  der  tuyfel  vas  git  me.  Und  ven  I 
tells  dot  captin  und  dose  men,  vat  you  dink  ?  He  say  dot  dem  seals 
vas  all  Tutchmen,  und  dot  vas  vy  her  vants  me  to  go  lif  mit  dem. 
Und  den  I  vas  madt,  und  dey  don't  never  know  ven  I  vas  blay  some 
more  vor  dem  seals  und  ponies."' 

Dear  old  Jumps!  His  spirit  was  so  kindly  he  would  caress  a  fly 
if  it  were  big  enough  to  bear  his  touch,  and  allow  a  mosquito  to  feast 
upon  his  hand  undisturbed  if  he  happened  to  be  taken  with  the  fancy 
that  the  bill -swinger  was  enjoying  himself  while  puncturing  the  giant. 

When  his  lumbering  step  was  heard  approaching  the  cabin  door 
the  boys  opened  to  him  with  a  welcome  that  was  as  demonstrative 
as  if  he  had  jut  just  returned  from  a  long  visit  to  his  native  Ger- 
many ?  The  cabin  stove  was  a  great  warmer  as  it  stood  to  its  duties 
and  did  its  best  to  keep  the  boys  from  the  intrusion  of  the  cold,  bat 


210 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


1:1 :? 


it  was  not  to  be  compared  to  the  giant,  for  the  caloric  of  his  ample 
heart  banished  chills  which  are  far  harder  to  endure  than  any  that 
come  from  the  north  pole.  Fortunate,  indeed,  was  it  for  them  that 
they  had  such  a  companion,  for  now  that  the  Cinderella  Carolina 
was  in  her  dock—  or  rather  coach  house — and  now  that  Topsy  and 
Turvy  were  no  longer  made  use  of  for  distant  expeditions,  and 
now  that  the  great  Bernard  was  absent  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
hunting  for  opportunities  to  save  any  living  thing  that  stood  in 
need  of  aid,  the  tide  of  amusement — outdoor  amusement — was  at 
low-water  mark. 

Boggs  had  gone  back  to  the  station.  The  emergency  season  was 
on.  The  high  winds,  drifting  snowstorms  and  incessant  watchings 
made  it  necessary  for  all  the  men  to  keep  in  close  and  immediate 
touch  with  one  another,  and  with  the  duties  that  multiplied  upon  their 
hands.  Besides,  with  the  coming  of  the  winter,  the  unfortunate  man 
became  almost  intolerably  morose  and  irritable,  so  that,  as  he  him- 
self pathetically  said,  it  was  better  for  the  boys  that  he  should  return 
to  his  usual  quarters,  where  the  winter  discipline  enforced  by  the 
captain's  authority,  and  made  all-powerful  by  the  ready  and  habitual 
conformity  of  the  men,  would  ser\'e  to  keep  his  own  growing  ugliness 
in  wholesome  check. 

During  the  earlier  part  of  the  season,  when  time  hung  heavily  upon 
the  men,  Brown,  "  the  tailor,"  who  was  fertile  in  expedients  for 
amusement,  had  rigged  a  rough  turning  lathe  and  had  taught  tne  boys 
how  to  use  it. 

Jumps,  always  on  the  alert  for  the  boys'  amusement,  proposed  that 
they  should  use  the  turning  lathe  and  turn  out  a  set  of  nine-pins  and 
balls,  and  fix  up  a  bowling  alley  in  the  hold  of  the  Maskomet.  There 
were  pieces  of  yardarms  and  spars  that  could  be  turned  into  balls 
and  pins,  and  plenty  of  loose  plank  lying  round  that  could  be  utilized 
for  a  starting  place,  runway  and  homing  end.  The  sand  in  the  hold 
was  as  level  as  a  floor,  and  all  they  had  to  do  was  to  put  the  plank 
upon  the  sand.  The  necessary  light  could  be  obtained  by  cutting  a 
few  openings  in  the  deck  overhead.  The  giant  knew  all  about  the 
game,    and    promised    to  teach    the    boys    all  he    knew.    They 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


211 


iple 
that 
that 
Dlina 

and 

and 
time 
3d  in 
'as  at 

n  was 
:hings 
ediate 
n  their 
teman 
e  him- 
i  return 
by  the 
labitual 
igUness 


took  up  the  project  with  enthusiasm,  and  were  soon  ready  ''or 
the  game. 

Topsy  and  Turvy  were  at  first  restive  at  the  idea  of  having  such  a 
stir  in  their  quarters,  and  when  the  pins  were  set  up  for  the  first 
time,  and  the  ball  went  thundering  on  toward  the  battle  field,  they 
turned  the  hold  into  a  circus  ring  and  galloped  around  the  sand  at 
the  top  of  their  speed,  yet  disdained  to  flee  through  the  openings  to 
the  outside  beach.  In  a  few  minutes  they  began  to  watch  the  game, 
and  in  a  short  time  the  motion  of  the  balls,  together  with  the  good 
spirits  of  the  boys,  made  them  as  playful  as  a  pair  of  puppy  dogs  or 
kittens,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  their  intrusive  noses  could  be  kept 
from  toppling  over  the  nine-pins  without  the  aid  of  balls. 

Jack  enjoyed  the  game  so  much,  and  saw  so  many  pleasant  hours 
standing  up  there  i/  the  nine-pins  and  rolled  up  in  the  balls,  that  he 
had  an  acute  attack  of  conscience,  as  persons  sometimes  will  when 
they  enjoy  things  keenly,  and  he  said  to  Dick :  "  What  would  father 
say  if  he  knew  that  we  were  playing  nine-pins  and  had  a  bowling 
alley  of  our  own  ?" 

"Say!"  Dick  exclaimed,  in  amazement,  "what  in  the  name  ot 
common  sense  do  you  suppose  he  would  say  ?" 

"  Well,  he's  a  preacher,  you  know,  and  preachers  are  generally 
down  on  this  sort  of  thing." 

"  To  be  sure  he's  a  preacher,  but  he's  no  fool-preacher,  and  that 
you  may  depend  upon.  Hasn't  he  played  sledge-hammer  games 
with  us,  and  quoits  by  the  hour  together  ?  Why,  when  we  tell  him 
about  Jumps  setting  us  on  to  this  thing,  he'll  bless  him  with  all  his 
heart,  and  pray  for  him  more  earnestly  than  he  could  ever  pray  for 
that  old  nose-whining  Gray  Blanket,  who  made  such  a  fuss  about 
our  wickedness  when  he  saw  us  playing  checkers  the  last  evening  he 
was  at  our  house.  Didn't  father  just  laugh  at  him,  and  tell  him  that 
he  was  altogether  too  good  to  have  anything  to  do  with  boys,  and 
that  the  sooner  he  went  to  some  place  where  the  boys  cease  from 
troubling  and  the  girls  never  laugh,  the  better  it  would  be  for  him  ?" 

"  And  he  said,  besides,  that  he  wouldn't  want  to  go  with  him, 
however,"  and  Jack  recalled  the  remark  with  so  much  satisfaction 


f^ir  >1^. . 


^^tcIM^^^ 


212 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


that  his  conscience  laid  back  in  its  easy  chair  and  chuckled  itself 
into  a  good  long  snooze.  At  least,  it  didn't  trouble  jack  any  more 
about  nine-pins. 

The  bowling  alley  was  resorted  to  by  the  men  whenever  they  got 
a  chance  to  play,  and  it  was  a  source  of  great  amusement  to  them. 
It  was  a  rather  cold  place  for  a  game,  yet,  by  kindling  a  small  fire 
on  the  sand,  they  kept  their  hands  thawed  out,  while  the  general  ex- 
ercise of  the  rest  of  the  body  gave  them  such  a  healthful  glow  that 
they  became  entirely  indifferent  to  the  frosty  air. 

The  long,  dismal  evenings  had  their  backs  broken  by  the  abundant 
heat  of  the  stove,  which  was  kept  well  fed  by  the  drift  that  the  Cinder- 
ella Carolina  had  providently  brought  into  the  hold  for  just  such  oc- 
casions. Then  there  was  the  giant's  clarinet,  which  the  boys  never 
got  tired  of  listening  to,  though  they  often  wondered  how  it  managed 
to  pour  out  such  a  stream  of  music  without  getting  dry  or  weary. 
Besides,  they  had  a  copy  of  ••'The  Heart  of  Midlothian,"  which 
jumps  insisted  they  should  read  to  him  from  beginning  to  end,  but, 
what  was  stranger  still,  there  was  a  copy  of  Thorwson's  "  Seasons" 
and  "  The  Castle  of  Indolence,"  which  they  had  brought  from  the 
palace  with  them,  and,  happening  to  dip  into  it  one  night  when  the 
giant  was  present,  he  became  so  excited  over  it  and  so  infatuated 
with  it,  that  he  demanded  more  of  '•  dot  boetry  "  every  time  he  en- 
tered the  cabin.  The  vivid  descriptions  of  the  seasons  and  the 
kingdom  of  Nature,  and  of  the  experiences  of  birds,  animals  and 
human  beings,  opened  so  many  new  worlds  to  the  giant's  simple  but 
appreciative  mind,  that  he  would  listen  by  the  hour  as  Jack  and  Dick 
took  turns  in  reading  to  him. 

"  If  1  vas  blay  all  dot  on  her  glarinet,  her  vas  pe  so  happy  as  Mr. 
Domson  herselluf.  Ach !  Mr.  Domson  vas  a  pigger  glarinet  dan  I 
vas  ever  see  dill  I  gits  to  Himmel."  And  then  he  threw  back  his 
head,  closed  his  eyes  and  framed  'luge  pictures  of  the  scenes  and 
things  the  boys  had  been  reading  about,  for  as  the  smallest  pool  in 
the  muddy  roadway  can  reflect  the  grandest  things  of  cloudland  and 
the  sky,  so  his  mind  reflected  what  he  had  listened  to.  And  that  is 
what  our  minds  are  for,  not  for  the  stirring  up  of  the  muddy  things 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


213 


that  are  v/lthin  us,  but  for  the  reflection  of  the  great  things  that  are 
above  us.     .  •    , 

Although  communication  with  the  other  end  of  the  island  was  be- 
coming more  and  more  difficult,  occasional  letters  continued  to  come 
from  the  princesses,  and  answers  to  them  were  such  important  af- 
fairs, that  the  compositions,  spread  upon  and  folded  up  in  the  long,  yel- 
low government  sheets,  and  written  with  gull  quills  dipped  in  cranberry 
ink,  and  sealed  with  pitch  taken  from  the  seams  of  the  Maskomet, 
afforded  them  many  hours  of  pleasant  employment  during  the  other- 
wise unoccupied  hours  of  the  day  and  evening. 

Late  one  afternoon,  the  boys  were  taking  a  gallop  up  the  beach  in 
the  face  of  a  cutting  blast  that  almost  scoured  their  noses  off,  it  was 
so  heavily  loaded  with  the  flying  sand,  and  that,  too,  notwithstanding 
the  hoods  of  their  coats,  which  they  had  drawn  as  closely  over  their 
faces  as  possible.  Away  in  the  distance,  they  saw  a  figure  approach- 
ing, which  immediately  set  them  to  wondering  who  it  could  be. 
When  they  met  him,  it  was  impossible  to  identify  him,  he  was  so 
completely  concealed  by  his  immense  wrappings,  but  the  moment  he 
spoke,  they  recognized  the  voice  of  Surgeon  McDonald. 

"  Here's  nuts  !"  exclaimed  Jack,  joyfully,  imitating  the  surgeon's 
parrot. 

"  But  how  in  the  name  of  Tommy  Tucker,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
happy  family,  did  you  manage  to  get  down  here  with  enough  of  you 
left  to  speak  with  ?"  asked  Dick,  no  less  joyfully  ;  "  this  sandstorm 
is  enough  to  scour  the  skin  and  flesh  from  the  bones  of  the  toughest 
pony  on  the  island,  not  to  say  anything  about  a  human  being." 

"You  forget  that  the  wind  is  in  my  back,  boys,  and  that  I'm 
wrapped  up  so  tightly  that  the  wind  had  as  hard  work  to  identify  me 
as  you  did.  I  judge  that  you  are  both  in  good  health,  or  you  would 
not  venture  to  face  such  a  blast  as  this.  Those  hoods  throw  your 
faces  into  such  deep  shadows  that  I  am  not  exactly  prepared  to 
pronounce  upon  your  color,  but  from  the  ring  of  your  voices  I 
think  it  Is  safe  to  say  that  you  are  in  no  need  of  any  of  my 
medicines." 

"  We  are  so  glad  to  see  you,  doctor,  that  we  are  willing  to  take 


214 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


1  ,:i 


Mi  : 


all  the  medicine  you  have  got,  though  we  are  no  more  in  need  of  it 
than  the  old  Maskomet  herself,"  said  Dick,  as  both  ponies  wheeled 
about  to  follow  him  to  the  station, 

"You  must  be  our  company,"  Jack  eagerly  insisted,  when  they 
began  to  sail  before  the  wind. 

'*  Oh,  of  course,"  the  surgeon  rep  "  it  is  a  part  of  my  duty  to 

look  after  the  shipwrecked,  you  know,  and  as  you  are  the  only  ship- 
wrecked ones  on  the  island,  and  as  the  king  and  all  his  household 
were  so  anxious  to  know  all  about  you,  I  came  down  to  take  a  look 
at  you  myself ;  and  the  best  way  to  do  that  is  to  stay  by  you  as  long 
as  I  am  here,  which  will  be  for  a  week  or  more." 

••  Hurrah,  hurrah,  hurrah!"  shouted  Jack,  wildly,  wishing  that  he 
could  fling  the  hood  of  his  coat  into  the  air  in  further  demonstra- 
tion of  his  satisfaction — satisfaction  that  was  increased  by  the  fact 
that  beneath  the  wrappings  of  the  bundle  the  surgeon  had  strapped  to 
his  shoulders  he  could  make  out  the  outlines  of  the  violin  case." 

"  And  how  are  they  all,  at  the  palace  ?"  Dick  asked. 

*•  Oh,  they  are  all  so  well  up  there,  that  neither  pills  nor  potions 
have  the  slightest  chance  to  get  out  of  their  boxes  and  bottles. 
Nevertheless,  I  expect  to  be  obliged  to  perform  a  serious  surgical 
operation  before  long." 

"Surgical  operation!  upon  whom?"  asked  Dick,  with  consider- 
able anxiety. 

"  Upon  the  womenettes." 

"  Goodness  !  What's  the  matter  with  them  ?"  exclaimed  Jack, 
full  of  sympathy. 

"  The  queen  is  stuffing  them  with  studies  from  morning  till  night, 
and  the  king  packs  it  all  down  as  scrupulously  as  though  he  were 
packing  barrels  of  sour  kraut,  and  the  result  is  that  their  minds  are 
growing  so  much  faster  than  their  bodies  that  1  shall  either  have  to 
amputate  their  minds  to  keep  them  within  bounds  of  their  bodies,  or 
piece  out  their  bodies  to  keep  up  with  their  minds.  They  are  getting 
so  wise  it  cannot  be  otherwise." 

"  Is  that  some  of  the  good,  old  Scotch  truth  that  you  are  so  fond 
of  talking  about?"  asked  Dick,  laughingly. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


215 


of  it 

leeled 

1  they 

duty  to 
ly  ship- 
asehold 

a  look 

as  long 

that  he 
monstra- 

the  fact 
rapped  to 
ase." 

pr  potions 
,d  bottles. 
IS  surgical 

1  consider- 
imed  Jack. 


lare  so 


"No;  it  Is  Yankee  truth,"  the  surgeon  replied,  with  a  responding 
laugh.  "  We  have  quoted  you  youngsters  so  often  since  you  left  us 
that  we  have  got  into  the  way  of  keeping  off  of  the  ground  by  putting 
wings  to  our  words ;  in  other  words,  we  have  become  a  bit  flighty  or 
imaginative,  if  you  please,"  And  the  Scotchman  enjoyed  his  own 
wit  so  much  that  he  churk:c;:^«loudly  enough  to  be  heard  by  the  boys 
in  spite  of  the  mufflers  covering  mouth  and  ears,  and  in  spite  of  the 
racket  the  surf  made  upon  the  beach.  In  fact,  the  surgeon  was  so 
glad  to  see  Dick  and  Jack  that  his  spirits  ran  away  with  his  sense. 

And  all  the  time  he  stayed  with  them  on  the  Maskomet  he  bubbled 
like  a  spring  that  is  charged  with  gas,  and  when  he  and  Jumps  got 
together  with  violin  and  clarinet  in  the  evenings,  and  as  an  accom- 
paniment to  their  dissipation  brewed  a  drink  out  of  cranberry  juice, 
water  and  brown  sugar,  and  ate  ship  biscuit  for  pretzels,  enjoyment 
ran  so  high  that  the  boys  began  to  feel  as  though  the  Maskomet  had 
spurned  the  sand  from  her  keel,  and  was  sailing  among  clouds  that 
were  rosy  with  sunset  hues,  warm  with  summery  breaths,  and  frag- 
rant with  fields  of  flowers. 

The  surgeon,  as  in  duty  bound — and  this  was  one  object  of  his 
visit,  which  was  partly  a  visit  of  inspection — mingled  with  the  men 
and  asked  them  all  sorts  of  questions  about  their  stomachs,  livers, 
and  all  their  other  what-nots,  so  to  speak,  and  satisfied  himself  that 
they  were  able-bodied  and  fully  competent  to  meet  the  emergencies 
that  might  at  any  moment  be  thrust  upon  them  by  the  appearance 
of  a  wreck. 

Boggs  was  the  only  one  who  gave  him  any  uneasiness.  From  the 
first  moment  of  meeting  him  he  became  convinced  that  he  was  not 
only  out  of  place  as  to  his  preferences  and  surroundings,  but  out  of 
mental  balance  as  well. 

To  Captain  Moline,  he  said:  "There  is  something  desperate  on 
that  man's  mind.  He  acts  as  though  he  were  afraid  of  everybody, 
and,  most  of  all,  afraid  of  himself ;  he  presents  all  the  symptoms  of 
a  man  about  to  go  out  of  his  mind.  Unless  there  is  a  great  change 
in  him,  he  must  be  gotten  rid  of  at  the  first  visitation  of  the  tender. 


jjM-.£2v 


I 

i  :tij 

m 


216 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Have  you  ever  had  any  trouble  with  him,  or  any  confidences  from 
him?" 

As  Moline  had  no  alternative,  he  informed  the  surgeon  of  all  that 
had  taken  place  between  Boggs  and  the  boys,  and  between  himself 
and  Boggs. 

"  It  is  a  far  more  serious  case  than  I  had  supposed,"  said  the 
surgeon,  anxiously,  after  he  had  gained  all  the  details  he  could.  "  It 
is  evident  that  he  is  the  prey  of  remorse  and  fear;  he  has  commit- 
ted some  crime  from  which  he  is  hiding — some  crime  great  enough 
to  make  him  fear  that  he  is  not  secure  from  its  consequences  even 
here.  And  yet,  that  he  is  not  an  habitual  criminal,  is  evident  from 
the  deep  melancholy  that  broods  over  him  with  its  all  possessing  and 
all  pervading  power.  What  to  do  with  him,  is  more  than  I  can  tell. 
To  attempt  to  take  him  to  the  other  end  of  the  island,  where  I  could 
keep  him  under  my  own  eye,  would  only  alarm  him  still  more,  and, 
possibly,  precipitate  the  ruin  of  his  mind.  There  is  only  one  thing 
that  can  do  him  any  good ;  if  he  were  to  become  repentant  toward 
God.  and,  believing  toward  our  Lord,  he  might  secure  the  peace  that 
would  save  him  from  becoming  a  mental  wreck.  But,  who  of  us  on 
this  island  is  able  to  minister  to  a  mind  diseased — who,  sufficient 
for  these  things?  If  the  boys'  father  were  here,  he  might  minister 
to  him,  for  when  I  saw  Mr.  Melville,  he  impressed  me  as  a  man  so 
devoid  of  veneered  shams  and  sickly  sanctities  as  to  be  the  very 
kind  of  friend  to  reach  such  as  stand  in  the  sorest  need  of  a  compe- 
tent counsellor." 

"  The  boys  must  possess  some  of  their  father's  characteristics," 
said  Moline,  "  for  they  have  more  influence  over  Boggs  than  all  the 
rest  of  us  put  together," 

"  That  goes  to  show  that  the  man  has  good  stuff  in  him.  It  is 
more  than  likely  that  he  is  more  the  victim  of  some  fatal  impulse 
than  he  is  of  premeditated  wickedness,  and  that  is  the  reason  why 
he  remains  so  hopelessly  disturbed.  I  sympathize  with  him  deeply, 
and  wish  I  were  able  to  secure  his  confidence,  but  his  distrust  of  him- 
self makes  him  suspicious  of  others.  I  am  face  to  face  with  a  case 
for  which  mere  medical  training  makes  no  provision." 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


217 


from 

that 
Tiself 

d  the 
.   "It 
Timit- 
nough 
J  even 
:  from 
ng  and 
an  tell. 
1  could 
e,  and, 
e  thing 

toward 
ice  that 
)f  us  on 
ifficient 
Tiinister 

man  so 
the  very 

compe- 


The  surgeon  made  most  tactful  overtures  of  friendship  toward  the 
unfortunate  man,  but  was  repulsed  in  every  instance,  for  when  one 
becomes  one's  own  worst  enemy,  all  others  seem  to  wear  a  hostile 
face.  The  surgeon's  final  word  concerning  him,  was :  "  Above  all 
things,  be  kind  to  him,  and  do  not  give  him  any  occasion  to  think 
that  you  are  watching  him,  as  if  he  had  shipped  the  devil  on  board 
for  good,  for  that  is  enough  to  make  any  man  mad  with  himself  and 
all  the  world  besides." 

McDonald  remained  on  the  Maskomet  for  ten  days.  The  Cin- 
derella Carolina  was  such  a  marvel  to  him,  that  he  insisted  upon 
taking  experimental  rides  in  her,  and  when  he  went  away,  he  de- 
clared that  the  very  moment  he  could  find  an  available  cask  he 
would  transform  it  into  a  doctor's  gig,  and  make  his  rounds  in  a 
style  more  befitting  his  official  position. 


\ 


ristics." 
all  the 


1 


r.    It  is 

Impulse 
ison  why 
deeply, 
t  of  hlm- 
th  a  case 


'iil^-iiiUHt 


iiSillHill 


: 


A  SABLE  ISLAND  SPRING 
FEVER 

N  THE  twentieth  day  of 
March  an  important  event 
occurred.  Dick  was  at  the 
stove  clearing  out  the  ashes, 
Jack  was  on  the  deck 
sweeping  away  the  sand, 
which  the  uncivil  winds  had 
blown  aboard.  Suddenly 
Jack  raised  his  broom- 
handle  and  rained  a  shower 
of  blows  upon  the  cabin- 
housing  with  all  the  vigor 
he  could  muster,  thereby 
making  such  a  resounding 
tumult  over    Dick's   head 

that,  in  his  hurry  to  reach  the  deck,  he  upset  his  ash-pail  upon  the 

cabin  floor. 
"  What  the  dickens  are  you  making  such  a  row  about  ?"  Dick 

asked,  when  he  had  reached  the  deck  and  looked  around  in  vain  for 

something  to  explain  Jack's  racket. 
"  Row!    I'm  not  making  any  row,"  Jack  protested,  half  indig- 

SI19 


220 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


i  I 


nantly :  "  I  only  pounded  you  out  to  see  what  I  have  seen.  Look 
there,  will  you.  and  let  that  sight  drive  some  of  the  crossness  out  of 
your  face." 

Looking  in  the  direction  indicated  by  Jack's  finger,  Dick  saw  a 
small  white  gull  skimming  the  edge  of  the  sea  and  making  seem- 
ingly playful  dashes  at  the  crest  of  the  surf.  It  was  the  first  wing 
of  the  season,  and  Dick,  realizing  what  it  meant,  experienced  such 
a  sudden  attack  of  spring  fever,  that  he  began  to  hurrah  as  vig- 
orously as  though  he  were  applauding  the  spread-eagleism  of  a 
Fourth  of  July  orator,  who  had  soared,  and  soared,  and  soared  until 
finally  landed  on  daddy's  woodpile  for  a  rest  from  his  high  orator- 
ical flight. 

"  What  the  dickens  are  you  making  such  a  row  about?"  asked 
Jack,  imitating  Dick's  recent  frown,  and  cracking  his  voice  into  a 
splintery  growl  that  was  as  like  Dick's  as  one  mouse  is  like 
another.  -  -      - 

For  answer,  Dick  hurrahed  again  with  more  violence  than  before, 
and  this  time  Jack  joined  him  with  a  vehemence  that  outnoised  his 
brother.  Well,  there  was  good  reason  for  their  joy.  The  winter 
had  been  a  great  tax  upon  their  spirits.  Having  no  skates,  they 
were  cut  off  from  skating,  and  if  they  had  had  ever  so  many  they 
would  still  have  been  cut  off,  for,  though  the  lake  was  frozen  almost 
to  the  bottom,  yet  the  changes  of  the  weather  were  so  sudden,  and 
the  dangers  among  the  dunes  so  great  in  the  winter  time,  that  Cap- 
tain Moline  had  forbidden  them  from  venturing  out  of  sight  of  the 
station.  They  rigged  up  a  toboggan,  but  found  It  useless,  because 
the  sand  was  mixed  up  with  the  snow  in  such  equal  proportions,  that 
when  they  tried  the  snow-covered  dune  that  laid  nearest  to  the  sta- 
tion, they  found  that  the  bottom  of  the  toboggan  stuck  to  the  snow 
as  closely  as  if  it  were  on  sandpaper.  The  confinement  of  their 
cabin  fermented  their  uneasy  spirits  to  such  an  extent  that  again  and 
again  they  were  in  danger  of  blowing  the  cork  out  of  their  bottled 
life,  and  seizing  upon  the  small  life-dory  and  having  an  old-time 
frolic  with  the  surf. 

They  hurrahed  every  time  that  little  patch  of  gull-white  cut  a 


i-i    i 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


221 


Look 
)Ut  of 

saw  a 
seem- 
,t  wing 
id  such 
as  vig- 
n  of  a 
3d  until 

orator- 

"  asked 
e  into  a 
;  is  like 

,n  before, 
loised  his 
he  winter 
ates.  they 
\any  they 
en  almost 
dden,  and 
hat  Cap- 
rht  of  the 
s,  because 
tions,  that 
:o  the  sta- 
the  snow 
nt  of  their 
.  again  and 
eir  bottled 
n  old-time 


fantastic  caper  against  the  green  water  and  the  blue  sky,  and 
encouraged  it  with  all  the  demonstrations  of  joy  that  lay  within 
their  power. 

"  Vat  vas  dose  matter  mit  dem  poys  vat  mgke  some  noise  ?"  asked 
Jumps,  who,  attracted  by  the  cheering,  had,  unobserved  by  the  boys, 
made  his  way  to  the  deck  with  his  own  morning  broom  in  hand. 

"Matter!"  exclaimed  Jack.  "Why,  don't  you  hear  the  music. 
Jumps?" 

"  I  don't  hears  some  music,  not  a  pit — only  dot  surf,  vich  vas  no 
more  music  dan  dot  Irish  vas  English." 

"  There — there  !  Don't  you  heart  that  ?"  exclaimed  Jack,  as  the 
gull,  floating  on  still  wings,  allowed  the  wind  to  blow  it  over  the 
crow's  nest,  where,  in  passing,  it  uttered  a  cry  shrill  enough  to  pierce 
a  penny. 

Jumps  slowly  lowered  the  handle  of  his  broom  to  the  deck,  and. 
giving  the  planking  a  ponderous  thump,  said,  with  a  frowning  face : 
"  Ach  !  donner  und  blitzen  !  You  vas  dinks  dot  gull  vas  a  nighdin- 
gale  vrom  Sharmany,  don't  she?" 

"Anything  in  the  shape  of  feathers  is  a  nightingale,  now,  Jumps, 
for  it  tells  us  that  the  spring  is  coming."  And,  knowing  how  to 
charm  Jumps'  seemingly  refractory  soul,  Dick  struck  an  attitude, 
and  from  a  fragment  which  he  had  laboriously  committed  to  memory 
from  Thomson's  "  Seasons"  not  long  before,  he  loudly  recited : 

Lend  me  your  song,  ye  nightingales!    Oh,  pour 
The  mazy-running  soul  of  melody 
Into  my  varied  verse!  while  I  deduce 
'From  the  first  note  the  hollow  cuckoo  sings, 
The  symphony  of  Spring,  and  touch  the  theme 
Unknown  to  fame — the  Passion  of  the  Groves, 
When  the  first  soul  of  love  is  sent  abroad. 
Warm  through  the  vital  air,  and  on  the  heart 
Harmonious  seizes,  the  gay  troops  begin 
In  gallant  thought,  to  plume  the  painted  wing 
And  try  again  the  long  forgotten  strain, 
At  first  warbled. 


222 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


in 


Whilst  Dick  was  reciting  tliis  ecstatic  piece,  Jumps'  jaws  fol- 
lowed the  motions  of  the  reciter's  lips,  and  his  head  bobbed  up 
and  down  as  though  it  were  afloat  on  the  waves,  and  Jack  became 
so  much  interested  in  watching  him  that  he  didn't  hear  a  word  of 
the"boetry." 

The  words  were  mostly  Greek  to  the  giant,  but  the  mention  of 
nightingales  and  cuckoos,  and  groves  and  spring,  sent  the  poor  fel- 
low's memory  to  the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  and  when  Dick  finished, 
the  boys  were  surprised  to  see  great  bubble-sized  tears  lumbering 
down  the  big  honest  face. 

"I  didn't  intend  to  make  you  feel  bad,"  Dick  hastened  to  say, 
with  considerable  remorse. 

"  Ach  !  Ven  her  vas  veels  padt  den  she  vas  veels  pooty  goot,  und 
vants  some  more  of  dose  boetry  mit  dose  nighdingales  und  dot 
hollow  cuckoo  vat  she  vas  lofes  ven  she  vas  a  poy  hisselluf.  You 
vas  coom  mit  me  und  dry  dot  boetry  on  dem  seals  like  mein  glari- 
net,  und  you  vas  see  dem  stan'  on  dose  tails,  they  vas  be  so  gladt  to 
hear  you." 

Meanwhile,  another  white  gull  had  made  its  appearance,  and  there 
were  two,  now,  playing  hide-and-go-seek  among  the  hollows  of  the 
waves  and  the  curves  and  scrolls  of  the  surf.  Presently  they 
alighted  on  the  boiling  waters,  and,  while  tossing  up  and  down, 
managed  to  keep  so  closely  together,  that  it  was  evident  that  they 
were  holding  a  tete-a-tete  about  their  recent  travels,  and  the  pro- 
priety of  settling  down  together  for  housekeeping  arrangements  dur- 
ing the  summer. 

A  few  days  after  sighting  the  first  gull,  there  was  an  Innumerable 
host  hovering  over  the  old  haunts.  After  the  small  white  gulls 
came  the  blue-tails,  then  the  black-heads  followed,  and  last  of  all 
came  the  great  lumbering  buzzard-like  gray  gull,  whose  stately, 
solemn  movements  were  doubtlessly  intended  to  show  that  all  gulls 
were  not  of  flippant  wing  and  crazy  motion.  Their  shriek,  even, 
was  modified  by  their  size,  and  was  far  less  discordant  than 
the  little  snippers,  which  seemed  to  measure  their  importance 
by  the  frequency  and  shrillness  of  the  sounds  they  made.    Jack 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


223 


judged  that  the  big  gray  fellows  were  the  prophets  ana  apostles  of 
their  race. 

There  was  a  feast  in  waiting  to  welcome  the  gulls  back  to  the 
island,  for  during  the  winter  all  manner  of  dead  fish  had  been 
thrown  upon  the  shore,  and  the  carcasses  of  three  drift  cattle  lay 
upon  the  southern  beach.  All  these,  though  frozen  to  the  bone 
during  the  winter,  were  now  mellowed  to  just  the  requisite  degree 
ot  ripeness  to  suit  the  guUine  appetite,  and  were  sought  after  with 
an  eagerness  that  showed  that  the  gulls  knew  a  good  thing  when 
they  s?iw  it. 

After  the  gulls,  came  the  different  kinds  of  ducks,  ranging  from 
the  little  dumpy  coot,  with  his  sooty  suit  and  stumpy  tail  and  imperti- 
nent antics,  up  to  the  shelldrake,  with  his  bewildering  variety  of  colors 
dominated  over  by  an  immaculately  white  necktie  and  a  glossy  green 
tail  curled  and  waxed  upward  like  the  moustache  of  a  Frenchman. 
And,  by  the  way,  this  duck  puts  on  so  much  style,  his  forefathers 
must  have  lived  in  Paris. 

Following  upon  the  heels,  or  rather  the  tails,  of  the  ducks, 
came  the  lordly  brant  and  wild  geese,  whose  imperious  manners 
admitted  of  no  familiarities  from  their  inferiors.  They  were  the 
patricians  of  the  feathered  host,  and.  in  fact,  the  monarchs  of  all 
they  surveyed. 

About  the  midd'e  of  April  the  small  fry  began  to  make  their  ap- 
pearance ;  plover,  curlew,  snipe  and  sand-piper,  and  the  drumming 
they  kept  up  among  the  dunes,  and  the  whistling  along  the  shores, 
made  it  seem  as  if  the  sands  themselves  were  in  the  highest  stages 
of  an  all-pervading  spring  fever. 

A  little  later  there  was  a  rain,  or  reign,  of  eggs;  big  drops  and 
little  drops  showered  down  by  the  nestfull  in  all  sorts  of  colors  and 
in  all  sorts  of  places,  so  that  if  the  shells  had  all  been  emptied  at 
once,  the  whole  island  would  have  been  turned  into  one  vast  omelet. 
As  it  was,  a  pony  couldn't  put  his  foot  down  at  a  venture  among  the 
beach  grass  without  spoiling  a  prospective  family. 

Besides  all  this,  the  surfaces  of  the  wet,  marshy  meadows 
revealed  millions  of  little  mounds,  with  round  holes  close  by  them,_ 


I 


I 

L 


1  !'i  a ' 

is  I!  Ill 


224 


■aaiiHHPP 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES     . 


from  which  emerged  myriads  of  spider  crabs  in  sidling  ways,  with 
freckled  shells  and  sharp,  protuberant  eyes,  and  all  scurrying  about 
in  such  comical  haste  it  was  evident  that  they,  too,  were  making 
ready  to  participate  in  the  general  ceremonies  of  the  spring 
opening.  Among  this  host  of  small  crustaceans  there  were  grave 
crabs  of  more  sober  colors,  and  consequently  with  a  broader  breadth 
of  beam,  as  one  might  expect  from  inhabitants  who  were  not 
swallowed  up  in  questions  of  dress  ;  and  as  one  might  naturally 
anticipate,  also,  these  were  good  for  something— good  to  eat — tor 
they  were  sweet  with  a  sweetness  that  did  not  depend  upon  the  fash- 
ions they  wore. 

The  pots  and  kettles,  pans  and  plates  of  the  Maskomet  bade  a 
long  good-by  to  the  teeth-wearing  salt  junk  and  measly  flips  of  side 
bacon  ;  a  long,  long  good-by  to  dried  codfish  and  pickled  and 
smoked  herring,  and  all  the  other  scurvy-provoking  products  of  the 
salt  barrel,  for  the  winter  was  past  and  gone,  and  the  voices  of  the 
boys  and  the  sound  of  their  guns  were  again  heard  in  the  land. 

The  Cinderella  Carolina  was  altogether  too  slow  to  suit  the  fast 
pace  of  the  opening  season,  and  she  was  allowed  to  suck  her  thumbs 
in  the  shadows  of  the  Maskomet  while  the  boys,  now  a  combination 
of  the  Centaur  and  the  Nimrod,  trotted  and  galloped  hither  and  yon 
upon  the  rejuvenated  backs  of  Topsy  and  Turvy,  and  brought 
in  spoils  of  eggs,  crabs  and  flesh  that  would  have  tempted  the 
children  of  Israel  worse  than  they  were  ever  tempted  in  the  wilder- 
ness. ^ 

All  winter  long  Bingo's  tail  drooped  like  a  tale  of  woe,  but  now  it 
was  curled  over  his  back  like  a  rainbow  of  promise,  and  every 
hair  on  his  vast  hide  stood  up  and  proclaimed  that  the  days  of 
jubilee  had  come.  The  very  fleas  made  him  all  the  more  consci- 
ous of  spring,  for  the  alert  Little  Corporals  or  Napoleons  renewed 
their  campaigns  in  his  hide  with  a  vigor  that  once  more  forced  him 
to  resort  to  his  sovereign  cure  for  all  the  ills  that  dog-flesh  is  heir 
to — a  plunge  into  the  stlrf,  to  be  followed  by  unlimited  rolls  in 
the  nearest  dry  sands.  When  this  remedy  was  taken  according 
to  directions — the  directions  of  his  own  unerring  instincts — the  fleas 


pp 


.ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


225 


.  with 
about 
naking 
spring 
s  grave 
)readtii 
;re   not 
aturally 
jat— tor 
le  fash- 

t  bade  a 
s  of  side 
:led  and 
,ts  of  the 
3s  of  the 
nd. 

t  the  fast 
ir  thumbs 
nbination 
r  and  yon 
brought 
ipted  the 
,e  wilder- 


met  their  Waterloo,  and  the  Bernard  resumed  his  spring  complac- 
ency and  stalked  about,  looking  as  invincible  as  Wellington  and 
Blucher  combined. 

One  morning  after  he  had  thus  taken  his  heroic  measures  and 
turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens,  he  started  off  on  one  of  his 
solitary  excursions  among  the  dunes.  The  night  had  been  windy 
and  the  air  heavy  with  a  thick  fog.  He  had  not  been  long  gone 
when  he  bounded  into  the  cabin  of  the  Maskomet  and  laid  a  robin 
at  Dick's  feet — a  robin  that  had  still  enough  of  life  left  in  it  to  make 
a  feeble  attempt  to  get  upon  its  feet  when  released  from  the  Ber- 
nard's cavernous  jaws. 

Not  until  Dick  had  picked  the  robin  up  and  examined  it  tenderly, 
could  he  credit  his  own  senses.  "  Why,  it  h  a  robin !"  he  exclaimed, 
while  Jack  was  too  much  delighted  to  say  anything.  "  Where  in  the 
world  did  you  get  this,  Bingo  ?" 

The  Bernard  barked  and  wagged  his  tail  as  expressively  as  he 
could,  but  without  making  the  boys  any  the  wiser,  for  they,  as  yet, 
were  destitute  of  a  dictionary  to  his  language.  .      . 

"  The  poor  fellow  hasn't  a  scratch  upon  him,"  said  Dick,  joyfully. 
"  It  has  been  blown  from  the  mainland,  and  tumbled  down  here  in 
the  fog  in  distress." 

Redbreast  uttered  a  feeble  peep,  as  if  in  confirmation  of  this  wise 
guess  at  his  adventures,  and,  after  warming  and  drying  him  in  his 
hands,  and  finding  that  the  little  stranger  was  inclined  to  assert  his 
ability  to  stand  on  his  own  legs,  Dick  placed  him  on  the  floor  and  put 
before  him  cracker  crumbs  and  water,  which  the  robin  resorted  to 
with  a  vigor  that  showed  how  hungry  and  thirsty  he  was. 

Having  eaten  and  drunken  h's  fill,  he  shook  his  plumage,  and,  fly- 
ing upon  a  projecting  cornice,  made  his  toilet  with  great  care,  and 
then  put  his  head  under  his  wing  and  went  as  soundly  asleep  as  if 
boys  and  dogs  were  a  hundred  miles  away. 

Meanwhile,  Dick  and  Jack,  the  Bernard  assisting  them  all  he 
could  with  his  great  interested  eyes,  improvised  a  cage  out  of  a  big 
cheese-box  they  had  picked  up  among  the  drift.  They  had  only  to 
saw  off  a  section,  put  in  a  roost,  turn  the  box  on  edge  upon  a  little 


■^^^^ 


mm 


Wm'i 


< 

mm 

Bll!ll|! 

'  I 


226 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


floor  made  for  It,  and  nail  on  a  few  perpendicular  slats,  and  there 
they  were — with  a  cage  that  the  robin,  nothing  loth,  took  possession 
of  with  as  much  contentment  as  if  he  had  been  born  with  the  whole 
establishment  over  his  head. 

When  the  giant  came  in  and  discovered  the  new-comer,  he  ex- 
claimed:    •'  Py  Jubitor,  mein  poys  1     Vas  you  vly  home  last  night 
und  coom  pack  mit  dot  ropin  right  ervay  ?     If  you  vas  pring  Jumps 
a  cuckoo  und  some  nighdingale  mit  dot  ropin,  I  vas  go  grazy  right, 
ervay  pooty  soon,  I  vas  veels  so  goot  mit  myselluf." 

When  the  boys  told  the  giant  that  the  Bernard  found  the  prize, 
and  had  delivered  it  safely  into  their  keeping.  Jumps  said,  patting 
the  great  fellow  upon  the  head  tenderly :  '*  Ach,  Pingo  1  She 
vas  dinks  more  of  dose  poys  dan  she  vas  of  Jumps  ven  she  prings  dot 
ropin  here  und  nodt  to  dot  Jumps.  Und  vat  you  dinks  I  vas  do  to 
bunish  her  mit?" 

The  Bernard  did  not  seem  to  know,  nor  did  he  learn  until  the 
giant  solemnly  marched  out  of  the  cabin,  and  then,  after  a  short  ab- 
sence, just  as  solemnly  marched  in  again,  with  a  small  china  sauce- 
dish  filled  with  wild  strawberries,  which  he  had  preserved  from  the 
last  season's  crop — for  wild  strawberries  abounded  on  Sable 
Island.  These  he  carefully  put  through  the  little  door  of 
the  cage,  and  the  robin  no  sooner  saw  them  than  he  pounced  down 
upon  them  with  as  much  vigor  and  recklessness  as  if,  in  spite  of 
swinging  tin  cans,  flashing  mirrors,  and  scare-crows  clad  in  the  dis- 
carded old  clothes  of  respectable  people,  he  were  ravaging  a  straw- 
berry bed  that  had  just  hung  out  its  ripening  fruit  in  its  usual  come- 
pick-me  style. 

"  Her  vas  dinks  dot  vas  all  right,  don't  it  ?"  said  the  giant,  his 
face  blossoming  into  a  broad  sunflower  smile  and  his  eyes  sparkling 
with  a  clear  springwater  brightness,  and  his  great  white  teeth  all  the 
while  peeping  through  his  heavy  beard  as  if  very  anxious  to  know 
what  had  made  their  master  so  happy. 

Having  sated  himself  the  robin  flew  to  his  perch,  and,  after  clean- 
ing his  bill  with  great  care,  swelled  his  throat  with  a  few  experi- 
mental notes  of  satisfaction. 


"lilJJ.-l_Jl,»J,_ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


227 


int,  his 

|)arkling 

all  the 

know 

clean- 
experl- 


"Ach!"  Jumps  exclaimed,  "  dot  vas  sounds  pooty  mucli  petter 
dan  dot  gulls  vat  say  noddins  put  sheep-shee-eep-sheep  all  dose 
dimes  she  vas  vlyin'  novheres.  Put  dot  ropins  don't  vind  no  vorms 
mit  dot  sand  if  she  vas  mit  dose  hills,  und  no  cherries  if  she  vas  vly 
erpout." 

"  We  can  catch  sandhoppers  for  him,"  said  Jack. 

"Ach  !"  replied  the  giant,  with  a  look  of  disgust ;  "  no  landt  pird 
vas  pe  so  voolish  vor  dot ;  ve  vas  hafe  to  gif  her  vresh  meat  vrom 
dose  skippers  und  vorms  vat  ve  vinds  mit  dose  cracggers  vat  ve 
eats.  If  you  prings  me  von,  I  vas  show  her  pooty  qvick  how 
she  eat." 

Jack  brought  one  of  the  most  venerable  ship  biscuit  he  could  find 
in  the  locker,  and  the  giant  opening  it  brought  out  several  well- 
matured  skippers,  which  on  being  offered  to  the  robin,  were  gobbled 
down  with  an  avidity  that  showed  a  good  healthy  appetite  ;  and  when 
the  robin  cocked  his  head  and  uttered  a  plaintive  cry  for  more,  the 
giant  was  delighted. 

"  She  vas  nodt  kick  dose  pucket  on  Sable  Island  any  more  dan 
dose  poys  vat  vas  coom  here  to  live,"  he  said,  with- placid  satisfac- 
tion. 

"  Why,  Jumps,  you  know  almost  everything,"  exclaimed  Dick. 

"  Nein ;  it  vas  dot  ropin  vat  knows  more  dan  dose  men  vat  maks 
so  mooch  vuss  erpout  dot  vorm  in  dot  pred  ven  she  don't  vant  to 
eats  dem.  Dey  say  it  vasn't  vit  to  eat,  und  dot  ropin  vas  say  dot  dot 
vorm  vas  der  pest  bart." 

"Ugh!"  Jack  exclaimed,  with  disgust,  "you  wouldn't  have  the 
men  eat  the  skippers,  would  you?  I  don't  wonder  at  their  making 
such  a  fuss  over  skippery  ship  biscuit." 

"  Und  subbose  dot  ropin  vas  gombelled  to  chaw  some  terbagger 
und  soom  smoke  pesides,  vat  vas  she  do  mit  his  belly,  den?" 

"  Double  up  on  it,  I  suppose.  Jack  replied,  laughing. 

"  She  vas  dinks  dot  ter  tuyfel  vas  git  in  him  und  vants  to  git  oudt 
agin  pooty  qvick.  Dot  ropin  vas  all  right  ven  she  hafe  eat  dot 
nice  vorms  vat  hafe  boarded  inside  dose  nice  pret  all  dose  lives, 
don't  she?" 


TT^r^^^^^ 


228 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


[•^ 


The  robin  was  named  Linden,  in  honor  of  the  tree  Jumps  talked 
so  much  about,  and  that  evening  every  man  in  the  station  came 
over  to  the  l\4askomet  to  give  the  robin  a  welcome.     And  as  each 
man  had  been  duly  informed  by  jumps  of  the  bird's  partiality  for  bis- 
cuit worms,  each  man  saved  what  had  skipped  out  of  his  portion 
during  the  supper  and  brought  them  over  as  an  offering  to  Linden's 
less  squeamish  tastes.     And,  afterward,  if  they  found  a  spider,  or    ' 
anything  that  they  thought  would  be  acceptable  to  the  robin,  they 
hastened  to  board  the-  Maskomet  with  it.    Linden  was  partial  enough 
to  spiders,  but  most  of  the  other  insects  brought  in  were  rejected  by 
him,  thus  showing  that,  while  the  sand  birds  might  have  no  difficulty   . 
in  picking  up  a  living  on  the  island,  there  were  few  things  there  that    ' 
would  tempt  the  appetite  of  field  and  bower  birds. 

The  robin  became  very  fond  of  the  Bernard,  and  when  given 
the  freedom  of  the  cabin,  would  light  on  the  dog  and  nestle  down  in 
his  voluminous  curls  with  the  greatest  satisfaction.  He  soon  dis- 
covered that  Bingo  was  a  world  in  himself  to  a  population  that  was  • 
all  his  own,  and  he  kept  such  a  sharp  lookout  for  fleas,  that  when  • 
any  of  them  went  tree-climbing  far  enough  up  Bingo's  hair  to  heave 
in  sight,  they  were  immediately  pounced  upon  as  a  morsel  that  was  not 
to  be  despised.  He  must  have  been  a  bit  of  a  logician,  arguing  that 
fleas  looked  like  ants,  and  that  things  that  looked  anyway  alike  must 
taste  considerably  alike.  If  there  were  differences  between  flea  meat 
and  ant  meat  they  were  not  sufficient  to  cause  the  robin  any  wry 
faces.  Bingo  appreciated  the  practical  value  of  his  new  friend,  and 
when  Linden  lit  on  him,  immediately  threw  himself  into  the  positions 
that  were  best  adapted  to  facilitate  the  robin's  hunts  ;  and  so  it  hap- 
pened that  what  Sable  Island  was  to  the  boys  as  a  hunting  field,  the 
body  of  the  dog  became  to  the  robin. 

April  was  also  made  memorable  by  a  spring  visit  that  Dick  and 
Jack  received  from  the  womenettes,  for  which,  having  been  fore- 
warned by  message,  they  prepared  the  cabin  and  also  the  Cinderella 
Carolina,  When  the  king,  pudey  in  body  and  ponderous  In  voice  as 
ever,  escorted  his  daughters,  for  he  had  accompanied  them  on  the 
trip,  Into  the  cabin  of  the  Maskomet,  and  saw  how  neatly  and  com- 


m 


■1  i. ' 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


229 


fortably  it  had  been  fitted  up  and  kept,  he  said,  with  a  great  show  of 
formality  and  apparently  with  some  feeling  of  jealousy  and  dis- 
pleasure :  .    .  _ 

"  Well,  my  lords,  it  strikes  me  that  your  lordships  are  trying  to 
surpass  the  splendors  and  conveniences  of  the  royal  palace  ;  I  hope 
it  does  not  mean  that  you  Intend  to  compete  with  my  prerogatives 
or  to  usurp  royal  authority.  But  1  forget ;  being  Americans,  you 
are  too  loyal  to  the  democracy  of  your  own  national  institutions  to 
think  of  putting  on  monarchial  airs  on  Sable  Island.  Still,  I  think 
that  I  must  investigate  during  my  stay  the  precise  meaning  of  the 
Cinderella  Carolina  chariot,  of  which  I  have  heard  so  much  from.  th« 
surgeon.  I  fear  that  there  is  more  high  treason  connected  with  that 
than  with  anything  I  see  around  me."  -    : 

The  boys  protested  that  they  were  only  putting  things  in  shape  so 
that  when  they  themselves  left  the  island  His  Majesty  might  find,  at 
least,  one  place  that  would  be  suitable  for  the  accommodation  of 
royalty  when  it  condescended  to  visit  the  East  End. 

Two  of  the  little  women  brought  their  guns  with  them,  and  the 
week  they  spent  on  the  Maskomet  and  among  the  dunes,  and  at  the 
lake,  was  one  to  be  remembered.  The  womenettes  became  infatu- 
ated with  the  Cinderella  Carolina,  and  every  evening  they  insisted 
upon  taking  their  airing  upon  the-beach,  their  royal  esplanade  for  the 
time  being. 

The  boys  were  so  much  pleased  with  the  honor  showed  to  their 
invention  that  tfiey  bestowed  It,  harnesses  and  all,  upon  the  prin- 
cesses, and  trained  the  royal  horses  to  behave  themselves  within 
the  traces  in  a  manner  befitting  the  Cinderella  Carolina's  utility  and 
splendor.  ■   • 

During  the  time  of  the  royal  visitors'  stay,  there  was  a  continual 
round  of  fun.  sport,  feasting  and  fellowship.  Jumps  became  an  im- 
portant personage  with  the  king  and  his  daughters  three,  and  they 
declared  that  his  appeals  to  their  palates  were  never  more  success- 
ful than  during  this  visit,  and  that  the  tickling  of  the  tongue  was  a 
good  two-thirds  of  the  way  to  the  touching  of  the  heart.  Food  and 
favor  are  seldom  out  of  sight  of  each  otner,  and  they  who  would  en- 


230 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


joy  the  sweets  of  friendship  must  maintain  a  close  alliance  with  the 
meats  of  the  table.  Nevertheless,  it  is  somewhat  humiliating  to 
think  that  the  higher  sentiments  of  the  mind  are  so  dependent  upon 
the  inferior  appetites  of  the  body,  for  it  is  like  yoking  asses  to  draw 
elephants.  -         • 

When  the  royal  equipage,  with  its  canvas-top,  and  all,  drove  away, 
and  the  cask  wheel  creaked  and  rumbled  beneath  its  precious  load, 
the  boys,  playing  the  part  of  knightly  cavaliers,  accompanied  it  for 
several  miles,  and  when  the  parting  came,  the  smiling, freckled  faces 
of  the  princesses  beamed  their  gratitude  anew  for  the  munificent 
generosity  which  had  conferred  a  chariot  that  enabled  the  highborn 
dames  to  return  to  their  mother  in  a  manner  becoming  to  their  rank 
and  state. 

Let  not  tne  reader  smile  at  the  high  language  here  used  to  de- 
scribe common  things,  for  are  not  our  girls  and  boys  the  genuine 
ladies  and  knights,  nay,  more,  the  real  queens  and  kings,  that  rule 
our  hearts  and  the  destinies  of  nations  ? 


THE  REVELATIONS  OF  A 
WRECK 

HE  usual  spring  gale  had 
proved  a  laggard ;  the  first 
fogs  of  the  season  canne  in 
advance  ot  the  equinoctial 
storm,  which  was  a  rather 
unusual  reversal  of  weather 
succession.  But  Captain 
Moline,  being  a  weather-wise 
old  sailor,  kept  his  life-saving 
apparatus  in  such  good  shape 
that  it  was  ready  for  work  at 
any  moment. 

It  was  well  he  did,  for  there 
came  a  day  when  the  baro- 
meter went  down  like  lead 
the  clouds  piled  up  like  moun- 
tains, the  wind  blew  with  the 
force  of  great  guns,  and  the 
surf  rose  like  a  lion  from  its 
lair.  ■ 

The  Maskomet  quivered 
through  all  her  stout  timbers,  and  the  station  and  its  outbuildings 
seemed  in  danger  of  being  flattened  to  the  ground.     The  waves 

S31 


,.i"^v  ....... 


T^ 


232 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


rolled  so  far  up  the  beach  they  poured  in  upon  the  sands  of  the  Mas- 
komet's  hold,  and  the  boys  took  refuge  at  the  station.  They  had 
witnessed  great  stornns  at  Black  5^oint,  but  none  so  severe  as  this. 
The  caps  of  the  dunes  were  blown  away  in  showers  of  sand  that  so 
filled  the  air,  it  was  dangerous  to  expose  one's  face  to  the  rasping 
grit.  Both  the  tame  and  wild  ponies  huddled,  as  best  they  might, 
under  the  lee  of  the  dunes,  but  their  shaggy  coat  became  so  loaded 
with  sand,  it  was  only  by  constant  shaking  of  themselves  that  they 
were  enabled  to  keep  their  feet.  Most  of  the  feathered  inhabitants 
of  the  island  also  huddled  close  to  anything  that  would  afford  a  shel- 
ter from  the  force  of  the  blast.  The  gulls,  fearless  wingsters  of  the 
storm,  were  the  exception;  when  the  storm  was  at  its  highest  they 
were  at  their  merriest,  and  rode  the  gale  in  flocks  which  defied  the 
very  armies  of  Heaven,  all  the  while  uttering  their  piercing  cries  as 
if  enjoying  the  combined  tumult  of  earth,  air  and  sea. 

The  carcass  of  the  great  whale  was  rent  in  pieces,  and  the  mam- 
moth bones  were  tossed  about  the  beach  as  though  they  were  tooth- 
picks. Wrecks  that  had  lain  upon  the  shores  for  years  were  either 
shifted  about  like  cockle-shells  or  dismembered  altogether.  The 
temperature  was  lowered  so  suddenly  that  the  thick  gray  mists  turned 
into  great  flakes  of  snow  that  made  it  almost  impossible  to  discern 
where  the  surf  ended  and  the  snow  began,  the  white  of  the  one 
blended  so  perfectly  with  the  white  of  the  other. 

The  men  were  scattered  as  widely  as  possible  on  the  north  beach, 
for  the  gale  blew  from  the  northeast,  and  if  any  vessel  should  happen 
to  be  caught  in  the  toils  of  the  island,  it  would  be  most  likely  to  be 
caught  on  the  north  side.  The  Bernard  was  in  his  element,  and 
raced  up  and  down  the  beach  fully  on  the  alert  to  the  possibility  of 
disaster  to  human  beings. 

Captain  Moline  allowed  Dick  and  Jack  to  accompany  him  on  his 
own  beat,  which  extended  along  the  beach 'for  a  distance  of  three 
miles  from  the  station,  where  Jumps  was  left  in  charge. 

During  one  of  their  halts,  the  captain,  peering  through  the  snow- 
flurry,  said :  "  Boys,  I  think  there  is  a  topmast  lifting  itself  through 
the  snow  cloud  yonder,  but,  possibly,  my  anxiety  is  making  me  see 


ON  SABLE.  ISLAND 


233 


Mas- 
r  had 
this, 
lat  so 
isping 
Tiight, 
oaded 
t  they 
bitants 
a  shel- 
of  the 
5t  they 
ed  the 
:ries  as 

;  mam- 

J  tooth- 

5  either 
The 

;  turned 
discern 
he  one 

beach, 
happen 

|y  to  be 
int,  and 

Ibility  of 

on  his 
d{  three 

ie  snow- 
through 
me  see 


things  that  do  not  exist.  Your  eyes  are  sharper  than  mine ;  get 
baclc  of  my  right  shoulder  and  look  along  my  arm  and  finger  and  see 
if  thf^re  is  anything  there."  .  ^ 

But,  before  the  boys  could  comply,  a  rift  in  the  flurry  enabled  all 
three  to  trace  the  outline  of  a  large  ship  grounded  broadside  on  with 
the  waves  breaking  over  her  in  great  sheets  of  black  and  white. 

Instinctively,  all  three  began  to  gallop  toward  the  station.  It  took 
but  a  few  moments  for  the  captain,  with  the  assistance  of  the  boys 
and  the  giant,  to  run  out  the  signal  gun  and  to  discharge  it  several 
times,  as  a  signal  to  the  wreck  that  she  was  seen,  and  to  the  men  to 
hasten  them  to  the  station. 

The  men  were  so  widely  scattered,  that  it  seemed  an  age  before 
they  got  together  and  were  ready  to  start  for  the  relief  of  the  crew 
of  the  doomed  ship.  When  they  got  abreast  of  the  wreck,  which 
was  now  plainly  in  view,  the  snow  squall  was  over. 

The  scant  canvas  was  blowing  in  ribbons,  and  the  crew  were  scat- 
tered about  in  the  rigging,  a  position  offering  but  little  security,  be- 
cause the  ship  was  rocking  so  violently,  the  masts  were  likely  to  go 
by  the  board  at  any  moment. 

"  Bear  a  hand  there,  men!"  Captain  Moline  shouted,  as  he  low- 
ered the  glass  with  which  he  had  been  trying  to  measure  the  situa- 
tion, "  there  is  a  woman  lashed  in  the  main  rigging,  and,  as  near  as  I 
can  make  out,  there  is  also  a  small  child  lashed  there  with  her." 

The  ship  was  too  distant  to  be  reached  by  the  gun-line,  and  if  any 
succor  was  to  be  given,  it  must  be  given  by  the  life-boat.  The  men 
did  not  flinch,  although  it  seemed  almost  certain  death  for  them  to 
face  that  surf.  Out  through  the  boiling  flood,  inch  by  inch,  they 
fought  their  way.  In  the  darker  water,  their  position  was  not  so 
perilous'  and,  fortunately  for  them,  the  position  of  the  ship — broad- 
side on — gave  them  a  bit  of  lee-water  under  the  rail  in  which  they 
could  work  to  advantage,  though  the  masts  might  go  at  any  time  and 
engulf  their  boat  in  the  common  ruin.  The  woman  and  child  were 
rescued  from  the  rigging,  and  the  boat  soon  had  all  it  was  safe  for 
her  to  undertake  to  land  in  one  trip,  and,  by  a  miracle  of  courage  apd 
skill,  was  brought  safe  to  the  beach. 


234 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Encouraged  by  their  success,  the  heroic'  men,  under  their  heroic 
captain,  started  on  their  second  trip.  Meanwhile,  the  upper  masts, 
with  yard-arms  and  hamper,  had  been  shal<en  into  the  sea  like  so 
many  straws ;  yet,  in  spite  of  this,  the  boat  again  returned  safely 
through  the  line  of  surf,  and  when  the  men  landed,  they  gave  a  wild 
cheer,  for  every  soul  was  saved. 

The  boys  did  not  witness  the  second  trip,  for  the  woman  and  the 
child,  a  small  girl,  were  so  much  chilled  and  weakened,  it  was  neces- 
sary that  they  should  be  carried  to  shelter  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment,  and  Jack  and  Dick  were  detailed  to  perform  that  duty. 

When  Captain  Lanier,  master  of  the  fourteen-hundred-ton  ship 
Aberdeen,  of  Clyde,  Scotland,  bound  for  Halifax,  reached  the  sta- 
tion, he  found  his  wife  and  child  being  cared  for  by  the  boys  on  the 
Maskomet,  from  which  the  tide  had  receded,  leaving  her  unharmed. 
Captain  Lanier  was  overjoyed  to  find  that  neither  his  wife  nor  his 
daughter  had  sustained  any  injury.  He  himself  had  not  been  so 
fortunate.  In  getting  his  men  away  from  the  ship,  during  the  last 
trip  of  the  rescuers,  he  was  caught  in  a  jam  of  wreckage  which 
broke  two  of  his  ribs,  which  made  it  necessary  to  send  for  Surgeon 
McDonald. 

The  other  men  of  the  ship  escaped  without  a  scratch,  and, 
after  a  night  of  rest,  they  were  able  to  begin  their  march  to  the 
other  end  of  the  island,  where  the  refuge  and  its  supplies  would  be 
available  for  their  needs. 

By  noon  of  the  second  day,  the  wreck  broke  up  and  the  cargo, 
consisting  chiefly  of  heavy  machinery  and  a  varied  supply  of  furni- 
ture, became  the  prey  of  the  sea.  For  hours,  sofas,  tete-a-tetes, 
rockers,  chairs,  bedsteads,  cabinets,  tables,  large  and  small,  and  like 
pieces,  were  tossed  upon  the  beach  by  wagon  loads.  The  men  gath- 
ered the  unbroken  pieces  and  stacked  them  upon  the  upper  beach, 
though,  with  ihe  exception  of  some  selections  made  for  the  station 
and  the  Maskomet,  they  could  only  be  regarded  as  so  much  fuel  laid 
up  for  the  succeeding  winter.  Much  of  the  ship's  cabin  bedding  and 
most  of  the  officers'  personal  belongings  were  also  cast  ashore,  and 
these,  after  being  dried  in  the  sun,  were  again  available  for  use, 


heroic 
masts, 
like  so 
i  safely 
J  a  wild 

and  the 
;  neces- 
possible 

,uty. 
ton  ship 

the  sta- 
rs on  the 
\harmed. 
b  nor  his 

been  so 
r  the  last 
ige  which 
•  Surgeon 

ch.  and, 
:h  to  the 
would  be 

he  cargo, 
of  furni- 
:e-a-tetes, 
1,  and  like 
n^en  gath- 
ler  beach, 
[he  station 
;h  fuel  laid 
tdding  and 
Lshore,  and 
ir  use, 


LAUNCHING    THE    LIFE-BOAT. 
235 


i    ! 


1  ! 


!  I 


■    1 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


237 


The  boys,  having  given  their  room  to  tii?.  Laniers,  fitted  up  the 
outer  cabin  for  their  own  occupation. 

Mrs.  Lanier  quickly  recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  shipwreck, 
and,  being  a  thoroughly  practical  woman,  and  having  learned  that 
the  boys  were  also  castaways,  immediately  assumed  all  the  house- 
keeping arrangements  of  the  Maskomet,  and  with  such  skill  that 
things  went  on  with  clock-like  regularity. 

Both  the  captain  and  his  wife  were  Scotch ;  just  young  enough 
to  be  companionable  and  old  enough  to  be  paternal,  as  the  boys  soon 
discovered. 

The  surgeon  arrived  the  second  day  after  the  wreck,  and  relieved 
Mrs.  Lanier's  anxieties  by  assuring  her  that  her  husband's  injuries 
were  of  such  a  nature  that  they  would  soon  yield  to  rest  and 
treatment. 

Lena,, the  daughter,  a  pretty  child  of  six  years.  Became  a  delight- 
ful companion  for  the  boys,  and  the  pet  of  all  the  men  at  the 
station. 

"  Mit  dot  laty,  und  dot  leetle  kirl,  und  dot  ropin,  und  dose  poys," 
said  the  giant,  with  delight,  "ve  vas  pe  so  goot  und  habby  her  don't 
vant  noddin  pesides  dill  her  vas  all  gone  pack  to  somevheres  vonce 
more.  Ach  I  put  her  von't  dink  erpout  dot  no  more!"  And  his 
exclamation  showed  that  he  was  determined  to  enjoy  the  new  pleas- 
ures that  had  come  into  his  existence  to  the  best  of  his  ability  while 
they  lasted.  . 

Some  days  after  the  wreck,  Captain  Moline,  happening  to  be  alone 
with  Boggs,  said  to  him  warmly:  "  Boggs.  you  stood  your  first  life- 
service  nobly ;  no  man  could  have  done  better.  When  I  saw  how 
the  waves  were  breaking  over  that  ship,  and,  especially  over  the  part 
above  which  Mrs.  Lanier  and  her  daughter  were  lashed,  I  had  sore 
doubts  as  to  their  safety.  Yet  you  went  through  that  water  and  up 
those  shrouds,  and  brought  them  down  like  a  hero.  They  owe  their 
lives  to  your  bravery.  The  men  are  full  of  your  praises,  and  so  are 
the  captain  and  his  wife  and  daughter." 

"  I  only  did  my  duty,"  replied  Boggs,  coloring  under  the  warmth 
of  Moline's  approval. 


238 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"  Very  true,  but  there  are  different  ways  of  doing  one's  duty,  you 
know.  You  didn't  do  yours  as  though  you  were  trying  to  shorten  it 
at  both  ends,  but  went  the  whole  length  of  it  with  a  courage  and  skill 
never  exceeded  since  I  have  been  here.  You  did  honor  to  the  serv- 
ice, and  when  I  report  the  loss  of  the  Aberdeen,  1  shall  make  special 
mention  of  you  as  worthy  of  a  gold  medal." 

"  But  I  wasn't  brave  ;  there  was  no  bigger  coward  on  the  ship  that 
day,  and  1  came  near  flunking  on  the  whole  business.  The  only  way 
I  could  prevent  it  was  by  shutting  my  lips  together  and  saying  to  my- 
self, '  Boggs,  you  are  a  miserable  wretch,  not  fit  to  live,  and  if  you 
are  going  to  be  Different  from  what  you  have  been,  now  is  your 
chance,  though  you  risk  your  life  in  taking  it.'  That  was  the  thought 
that  steeled  me  against  danger  and  enabled  me  to  overcome  my 
co\li/ardice." 

Seizing  him  by  the  hand,  Captain  Moline  said:  "  Let  me  say, 
frankly,  that  you  are  a  much  better  man  than  1  have  taken  you  for. 
The  bravest  and  best  man  is  the  one  who  puts  his  foot  upon  his  fears 
and  does  his  duty  as  though  there  was  nothing  to  fear — the  man  who 
knows  his  weaknesses  and  yet  triumphs  over  them." 

"  Thank  you,  captain  !  You  are  building  better  than  you  know. 
If  I  ever  get  out  of  the  pit  into  which  I  have  fallen  it  will  be  because 
I  have  not  yet  gone  so  far  down  as  to  be  beyond  your  sympathy,  and 
because,  instead  of  shovelling  sand  upon  a  fellow,  you  have  tried  to 
dig  me  out." 

He  turned  to  go  away,  but  the  captain  intercepted  him,  saying  ; 
"  Now  that  Captain  Lanier  is  able  to  sit  up  and  is  quite  comfortable, 
he  is  inquiring  after  you  and  blaming  himself  because  he  does  not 
know  you  by  sight  You  were  so  muffled  up,  you  know,  and  he  was 
so  preoccupied  that  he  could  not  distinguish  you  from  the  rest  of  the 
men." 

"  That  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  as  he  was  muffled  as  much 
as  I,  I  didn't  get  a  chance  to  see  how  he  looked,  and  should  not 
know  him  if  I  were  to  see  him." 

"  Weil,  he  is  able  to  see  you  now,  and  is  anxious  to  '.hank  you  in 
person  for  saving  his  wife  and  child.     Come  with  me  and  I  will  in- 


ri| 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


239 


uty.  you 
lorten  it 
and  skill 
he  serv- 
e  special 

ship  that 

only  way 
ng  to  my- 
nd  if  you 
w  is  your 
le  thought 
•come  my 

5t  me  say. 
^n  you  for. 
)n  his  fears 
e  man  who 

I  you  know. 

be  because 

pathy.  and 

ave  tried  to 

|im,  saying : 

:omfortable, 

I  he  does  not 

and  he  was 

rest  of  the 

led  as  much 
should  not 

|;hank  you  in 
land  I  will  in- 


troduce you.  I  know  that  you  don't  want  any  fuss  made  over  the 
matter,  but  it  will  only  be  the  civil  thing  to  call  upon  Km  since  he  is 
not  able  to  call  on  you,  though  he  is  so  anxious  to  see  you." 

"  Just  as  you  say,"  Boggs  assented,  with  diffidence. 

Captain  Lanier  sat  with  his  back  to  the  cabin  door,  and  Lena  was 
sitting  at  his  feet,  while  his  wife,  accompanied  by  Dick  and  Jack, 
were  at  the  station  after  supplies  for  their  table.  Hearing  the  cabin 
door  open,  the  captain,  a  punctilious  man,  rose  to  greet  the 
visitors. 

The  instant  Boggs  got  a  full  view  of  the  captain's  face,  his  own 
blanched  to  a  deadly  white,  and  he  cried  in  manifest  agony  :  "My 
God  !  I  am  caught  at  last !"  Turning,  he  fled  the  cabin  and  ship 
as  though  a  thousand  furies  were  in  chase. 

For  an  instant  Captain  Lanier  was  stupefied,  but  quickly  recover- 
ing himself,  he  said,  with  an  ominous  look  of  triumphant  anger : 
"Yes !  at  last !  and  in  spite  of  your  hiding  in  this  out  of  the  way 
place.  Captain  Moline,  a  reward  of  a  thousand  pounds  is  offered 
for  the  arrest  of  that  man  Clancy  ;  he  is  an  escaped  criminal,  and 
in  the  name  of  the  law  I  demand  that  you  make  him  prisoner  ynd 
hold  him  securely  until  such  time  as  he  can  be  delivered  to  justice." 

"  Clancy  I"  exclaimed  Moline,  who  was  overwhelmed  by  the  ex- 
traordinary conduct  of  both  men,"  you  are  mistaken.  Captain  Lanier, 
that  man's  name  is  Boggs  !" 

*•  Oh,  of  course  !  Boggs,  or  anything  else  he  chooses  to  call  him- 
self, but  no  assumed  name  can  hide  him.  You  saw  for  yourself  how 
quickly  he  recognized  me,  and  vou  heard  what  he  said  ;  and  I  again 
demand  that  he  be  arrested  and  shackled." 

"For  what?" 

"  For  murder.  Two  years  ago  my  brother  and  1  were  playing 
billiards  in  Liverpool.  England,  in  the  billiard-room  of  the  hotel  where 
we  were  stopping  at  the  time.  While  we  were  amusing  ourselves, 
this  man  Clancy,  who  Is  the  son  of  a  wealthy  brewer,  came  in  with 
another  young  man,  and  began  a  game  at  another  table.  As  he 
kept  constantly  commenting  upon  our  game  in  insulting  terms  my 


240 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


brother  finally  requested  him  to  confine  his  attention  to  his  own 
game. 

Clancy  immediately  raised  his  cue,  and,  with  the  butt  end  of  it, 
smote  my  brother  a  blow  that  laid  him  dead  at  my  feet.  In  the  con- 
fusion of  the  moment  the  murderer  escaped,  and  although  all  Scot- 
land Yard  has  had  its  best  detectives  after  him  we  have  never  been 
able  to  get  the  slightest  clue  to  his  whereabouts.  No  wonder  he  was 
surprised  to  see  me.  Thank  God  !  I  have  him  fast  enough,  now. 
But  how  ioes  it  happen  that  he  is  here  ?"  - 

*'  He  came  here  in  the  same  way  you  did,  by  a  wreck — a  vessel 
on  which  he  had  shipped  as  a  common  sailor.  We  lost  a  man  in 
trying  to  save  the  crew  to  which  he  belonged.  This  man  asked  to 
be  taken  in  the  place  of  the  lost  lifeman,  and  we  granted  his 
request.  His  first  work  was  done  in  rescuing  your  crew,  and  it  was 
he  who  took  your  wife  and  child  from  the  main  rigging  at  the  risk  of 
his  own  life.  He  is  the  man  whom  you  have  urged  me  to  bring  in 
and  introduce  to  you  and  your  wife  that  you  might  thank  him  person- 
ally for  his  brave  service  ;  he  came  in  at  my  request." 

Captain  Lanier  groaned  bitterly,  and  fell  back  into  his  chair  sigh- 
ingly, saying  :     "  This  is  terrible  !" 

"  I  knew,"  Captain  Moline  continued,  "  that  there  was  something 
mysterious  about  the  man ;  he  has  been  full  of  remorse  for  some- 
thing ever  since  he  came  here,  and  I  believe  that  half  the  time  he 
has  been  partly  insane  ;  but  of  late  he  seemed  changed  tor  the  better, 
and  I  am  sure  that  he  was  trying  to  be  a  different  man.  Indeed,  he 
had  gone  so  far  as  to  tell  me  that  he  would  devote  the  remainder  of  his 
able-bodied  life  to  the  service  of  Sable  Island,  and  thus  try  to  make 
amends  for  the  mistakes  of  his  earlier  career.  I  know  that  he  is 
quick-tempered ;  he  struck  that  younger  Melville  boy  a  cruel  blow 
once,  but  the  boys,  though,' at  the  time,  they  came  very  near  shoot- 
ing him  in  his  tracks,  forgave  him,  and  have  done  much  toward  turn- 
ing him  to  hp.tter  things.  He  doubtless  killed  your  brother  in  a  fit  of 
drunken  anger." 

"Yes,  he  was  quick -temnered."  said  Captain  Lanier,  "  so  much 
so  that  his  father  refused  to  let  him  remain  under  his  roof.     And  I 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


241 


0  his  own 

t  end  of  it, 
In  the  con- 
h  all  Scot- 
never  been 
ider  he  was 
lough,  now. 

1^ — a  vessel 
ist  a  man  in 
in  asked  to 
granted  his 
,  and  it  was 
t  the  risk  of 
e  to  bring  in 
him  person- 

s  chair  sigh- 

s  something 
;e  for  some- 
the  time  ho 
ir  the  better. 
Indeed,  he 
.ainderof  his 
try  to  make 
(W  that  he  is 
cruel  blow 
near  shoot- 
toward  turn- 
ler  in  a  fit  of 

"  so  much 
roof.     And  1 


know  that  he  was  somewhat  the  worse  for  liquor  at  the  time  he 
killed  my  brother.  What  you  say  about  his  remorse  and  his  pur- 
poses, makes  my  duty  all  the  more  painful.  Providence  has  brought 
me  face  to  face  with  him,  and  he  must  go  to  the  bar  and  suffer  for 
his  offense.  English  law  does  not  play  fast  and  loose  with  men  who 
take  life  with  the  recklessness  of  brutes. 

"  That  there  may  be  no  mistake  about  the  man's  identity,  take 
some  of  your  men  and  bring  him  here  again.  But,  whether  he  is 
brought  or  not,  I  solemnly  charge  that  man  with  the  death  of  my 
brother,  and  affirm  that  he  is  a  criminal  for  whom  English  law  has 
been  searching  the  world  for  the  past  two  years.  You  and  I  have  no 
discretion  in  the  matter." 

Captain  Lanier  spoke  with  so  much  decision  and  certainty  that 
Captain  Moline  said  he  would  comply  with  his  demands.  After  ac- 
quainting the  surgeon  with  the  new  and  startling  turn  affairs  had 
taken,  Moline  and  he  took  two  other  men  and  began  to  make  search 
for  the  criminal.  Boggs  had  been  seen  fleeing  hatless  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  lake,  and,  it  was  further  learned,  that  Dick  and  Jack, 
alarmed  at  his  conduct,  and  fearing  for  his  safety,  were  following  in 
the  hope  of  persuading  him  to  return  to  the  station  and  to  lie  down 
and  rest,  for  they,  as  yet  had  no  suspicion  of  what  had  thrown  him 
into  such  a  panic. 

Mounting  ponies,  and  apprehensive  for  the  boys,  as  well  as  for 
Boggs,  the  four  men  galloped  toward  the  lower  part  of  the  lake. 
They  overtook  Dick  and  Jack  not  far  from  the  lake,  and  learned 
that  the  man  was  among  the  dunes  just  ahead  of  them,  and  that  he 
had  paid  no  more  attention  to  their  iiail  than  if  they  were  not  in 
existence. 

When  they  sighted  Clancy,  as  we  shall  now  call  him.  the  fugitive, 
seeing  that  he  was  likely  to  be  headed  off  from  the  course  he  was 
fleeing,  made  a  turn  to  the  right  and  plunged  into  a  short,  shallow 
arm  of  the  lake,  as  if  intending  to  reach  the  other  side  before  his 
pursuers  could  reach  him. 

"Merciful  heavens  1"  Moline  exclaimed,  "  he  ought  to  know  as 
well  as  any  of  us,  that  he  is  going  into  the  deadliest  quicksand  that 


242 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVEi\TURES 


'it'!  .!'  !l  i 


iillli 


can  be  found  on  Sable   Island ;  his  new  fear  has  swallowed  up  all 
other  fears." 

They  halted  their  ponies,  and  begged  of  him  to  desist,  at  the  same 
time  reminding  him  of  the  nature  of  the  place.  Yet  he  was  deaf  to 
everything  they  said,  and  plunged  into  the  shallow  water,  and  on- 
ward, until  he  reached  the  treacherous  sand,  which  yielded  at  every 
step  he  took.  Although  the  water  was  but  two  and  a  half  feet  deep, 
it  was  depth  enough  for  his  salvation,  if  he  would  have  heeded  Mo- 
line's  entreaties  to  throw  himself  flat  and  paddle  overhand  for  shore. 
Blind  to  everything  but  the  one  fear  that  had  seized  upon  him, 
Clancy  pressed  ahead  until  further  progress  became  impossible. 
Finding  that  he  was  being  sucked  down,  he  threshed  about  in  agon- 
ized attempts  to  release  himself. 

"  No  power  on  earth  can  save  him  now,"  the  surgeon  exclaimed, 
for  no  living  man  dare  follow  him  into  that  deadly  ooze." 

Dick  and  Jack,  remembering  where  they  had  left  the  little,  flat 
boat  at  their  last  duck  hunt,  had  left  the  men  and  gone  after  it,  not- 
withstanding it  was  some  distance  away,  for  they  knew  that  the 
course  Clancy  took  would  plunge  him  into  the  quicksands.  And 
now,  just  as  the  last  words  of  the  surgeon  left  his  lips,  the  punt  came 
from  behind  a  little  point,  and,  with  the  boys  paddling  with  all  their 
power,  made  directly  for  the  struggling  man,  who  had  only  his  head 
and  shoulders  above  water,  and  was  uttering  the  most  piercing  cries 
while  beating  the  waters  around  him. 

Moline  and  his  companions,  knowing  that  the  madman  would 
swamp  the  little  punt  the  instant  it  came  within  his  reach, 
and  that  both  boys  would  be  in  danger  of  being  drawn  down 
to  death  with  him,  warned  them  that  the  punt  was  too  small  to  be 
of  any  use. 

"  Not  if  we  push  the  bow  up  to  him  and  give  him  that  to  hold  to, 
while  we  stand  in  the  stern  and  let  him  pull  himself  out,"  Dick  re- 
plied, still  pushing  ahead. 

"  Back,  I  command  you  back  to  the  shore,"  shouted  Moline. 

"  We  can't  see  a  man  go  down  like  that,"  was  the  resolute 
answer. 


Mi 


ip  all 

same 
eaf  to 
nd  on- 
:  every 
t  deep, 
3d  Mo- 
■  shore, 
m  him, 
)ossible. 
m  agon- 
claimed, 

little ,  flat 
r  it,  not- 
that  the 
ds.     And 
unt  came 
I  all  their 
his  head 
jcing  cries 

\an  would 
lis  reach, 
iwn  down 
lall  to  be 

Ito  hold  to, 
Dick  re- 

loline. 

le  resolute 


o 
m 

X 

o 

CO 

o 
o 
o 
(/I 


243 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


245 


"  He  will  drag  you  down,"  shouted  the  surgeon,  frantically. 

But  the  boys'  blood  was  up,  and  they  still  pushed  ahead. 

"Come  back  into  the  stern,  Jack,"  said  Dick,  in  a  low  voice, 
"while  I  put  the  bow  within  his  reach,  and  if  he  upsets  us.  throw 
yourself  flat  to  the  water  over  the  stern,  and  for  the  rest,  you  know 
what  to  do."  ■   .    ' 

The  minute  the  bow  reached  Clancy,  the  punt  went  over  in  a  flash, 
while  the  men  on  shore  stood  helplessly  aghast.  . 

Dick  and  Jack,  simultaneously  with  the  madman's  seizure  of  the 
punt,  flung  themselves  flatly  upon  the  water  beyond  his  reach,  and, 
with  his  last  cry  ringing  in  their  ears,  struck  out,  instinctively  keeping 
their  feet  from  the  treacherous  bottom,  and,  half  scrambling  and  half 
swimming,  reached  the  shore  without  difficulty.  When  they  looked 
out  upon  the  water  only  a  few  bubbles  rose  to  tell  where  Clancy  had 
gone  down. 

Jack,  who  all  along  had  felt  a  boundless  pity  for  the  lost  man, 
turned  his  face  away  and  sobbed  bitterly,  while  Dick,  pale  with  anger, 
turned  to  Captain  Moline,and  said;  "What  in  Heaven's  name  were 
you  hounding  that  poor  fellow  for  in  that  infernal  way  ?  If  you  had 
left  us  alone  with  him,  we  might  have  quieted  him  and  persuaded  him 
to  return  with  us."  , 

The  surgeon,  tossed  between  his  admiration  of  the  boy's  pluck 
and   his   grief  for  the  man's   tragical    fate,    falteringly   answered: 

Gently,  my  lad,   it   is  no  time  for  rash  speech.     Justice  sent  us 

I  in  search  of  him  in  the  beginning,  but  it  was  mercy  that  prompted 

us  to  pursue  him  in  the  end ;  for,  realizing  that  he  had  become 

suddenly  insane,  we  sought  to  prevent   him   from    doing   harm   to 

Ihimself,  little  dreaming  that  he  would  rush  Into  the  very  place  that 

Iwould  insure  his  death." 

"  Justice  1' '  Dick  exclaimed,  not  yet  pacified  ;  "  what  do  you  mean 
3y  justice,  when  he,  in  saving  Mrs.  Lanier  and  her  daughter,  accord- 
ing to  Captain  Moline  and  all  his  men,  proved  himself  the  bravest 
Df  the  brave?" 

"  Look  here,  boys,"  abruptly  interrupted  Captain  Moline,  not  yet 
jecovered  from  the  anger  he  had  experienced  at  the  boys  rushing 


Ml 


246 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


H 


11     i 
'1 


r ' 


into  the  danger  from  which  he  had  ordered  them  to  turn  back,  but 
at  the  same  time  profoundly  grateful  that  they  had  escaped  harm, 
and  beginning  to  share  the  surgeon's  admiration  for  their  bravery  ; 
"  look  here,  boys,  it  was  well  for  you  that  you  were  beyond  my  reach 
when  you  disobeyed  my  orders.  Do  you  know  that  you  have  narrowly 
escaped  that  man's  fate  ?  If  he  could  have  gotten  hold  of  you  noth- 
ing would  have  saved  you." 

"  I  had  guarded  against  that  while  we  were  going  out  to  him,  by 
cautioning  Jack  and  directing  him  what  to  do  if  the  boat  was  swamped. 
As  for  the  rest  of  it,  it  was  a  mere  matter  of  getting  wet ;  we  have 
frogged  it  over  such  places  before,  and  have  learned  enough  about 
that  kind  of  sand  to  prevent  us  from  trusting  our  feet  to  its  grip." 
And  then  returning  to  his  question,  Dick  repeated,  only  more  earn- 
estly than  before  :  "  What  do  you  mean  by  justice.  Captain  Moline, 
when  you  speak  of  poor  Boggs?" 

"  His  name  was  Clancy,"  replied  the  captain,  insensibly  yielding 
to  Dick's  persistent  and  imperious  manner. 

"  Clancy  I     How  did  you  find  that  out  ?" 

Then  the  captain  rehearsed  what  is  already  known,  and  the  account 
so  overwhelmed  both  boys  that  they  were  stupefied  for  several 
moments. 

"  I  don't  care  if  it  is  all  true,"  cried  Jack,  impulsively,  at  last,  his 
breast  still  heaving  with  the  force  of  his  sympathy  for  the  dead 
man,  "  he  ought  to  have  had  another  chance  for  himself,  and 
Captain  Lanier  and  the  rest  of  you  ought  to  have  given  it  to 
him." 

"Ah,  lad,"  said  the  surgeon,  deeply  moved  by  this  revelation  of 
the  generosity  of  unfrosted  youth,  "  none  of  us  could  help  himself. 
When  men  put  the  noose  of  wrong  about  their  necks,  sooner  or  later 
they  must  feel  its  grip.  And  since  a  higher  power  than  ours  has 
settled  the  fate  of  that  man,  we  must  put  our  hands  upon  our  mouths 
in  silence." 

"  I  think  that  you  are  right,"  Dick  said,  slowly,  beginning 
to  see  that  the  living  could  not  be  blamed  for  the  fate  of  the 
dead. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


247 


1  back,  but 
iped  harm, 
ir  bravery  ; 
i  my  reach 
/e  narrowly 
if  you  noth- 

to  him,  by 
.s  swamped, 
it ;  we  have 
lough  about 
to  its  grip." 
more  earn- 
(tain  Moline, 

3ibly  yielding 


1  the  account 
for  several 

,  at  last,  his 

[for  the  dead 

Ihimself,  and 

given  it  to 

revelation  of 
I  help  himself. 

Doner  or  later 
Ithan  ours  has 
In  our  mouths 

[ly,   beginning 
fate   of  the 


When  they  returned  to  the  station,  the  boys  went  to  their  room  to 
change  their  wet  clothes,  but  Moline  and  the  surgeon  went  directly 
to  Lanier,  who,  greatly  to  the  astonishment  and  distress  of  his  wife, 
had  just  finished  telling  her  of  the  discovery  of  the  slayer  of  his 
brother  in  the  person  of  the  preserver  of  the  two  who  were  so  near 
and  dear  to  himself. 

"  Where  is  that  man  ?"  the  captain  asked. 

'•  He  has  gone  up  to  the  highest  tribunal,"  said  the  surgeon. 

"What?     Dead?" 

"Yes,  Captain  Lanier,"  said  the  surgeon,  "  but  not  by  suicide. 
That  his  sin  should  have  found  him  out  even  here  was  too  much 
for  the  mind  that  was  already  enfeebled  by  constant  remorse,  and  he 
became  suddenly  insane.  All  the  circumstances  are  so  remark- 
able and  so  perplexing  that,  although  I  am  seldom  given  to  quoting 
Scripture,  I  cannot  refrain  from  recalling  those  significant  words: 
•  Vengeance  is  mine  ;  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord.'  "  And,  contin- 
uing, he  gave  a  minute  account  of  the  manner  of  the  man's  death, 
not  omitting  the  details  of  the  boys'  perilous  attempt  to  save  him 
from  the  sands. 

Both  the  captain  and  his  wife  were  much  affected,  and  while  she 
was  weeping  with  her  face  covered,  he,  awed  by  the  course  of 
events,  held  his  peace  for  some  tim.e.  At  the  end  of  the  painful 
silence,  he  said:  "  How  passing  strange  that  the  destroyer  of  my 
only  brother  should  have  become  the  preserver  of  my  wife  and 
child !  It  would  have  been  exceedingly  trying  for  me  to  have  gone 
into  court  against  him,  and,  all  the  more  so,  j  r  ir  learning  what 
he  suffered,  and  what  he  proposed  to  do  to  atone  for  his  crime. 
Perhaps  it  is  best  as  it  is ;  yet  it  is  a  terrible  ending  for  a  life 
that  might  have  reached  both  usefulness  and  honor.  His  career 
might  have  been  vastly  different  but  for  the  influence  of  his 
father's  business,  for,  so  far  as  my  observation  goes,  brewers'  sons 
average  as  badly  in  their  characters  as  beer-drinking  does  in  its  gen- 
eral results." 

On  looking  among  the  few  effects  left  by  the  unfortunate  man — 
effects  which  had  been  saved  when  he  was  saved  from  the  wreck 


lii  f ' 


i     .  i 


i 

II 


i      ! 


II   >!! 


]        I 


EnHC;  '  Will  i  'ti>.' 


248 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


the  year  preceding,  they  found  a  small  bundle  of  letters  carefully 
wrapped  in  oil-silk.  These  letters,  bearing  dates  preceding  the 
commission  of  his  crime,  bore  the  address,  Jared  Clancy.  Six 
were  from  his  mother,  and  four  from  the  young  lady  to  whom 
he  was  engaged  to  be  married,  and  all  breathed  sentiments  of  the 
liighest  love. 

Captain  Lanier  became  so  feverish  and  unmanned  from  the  effect 
of  the  excitement,  that  the  surgeon  did  not  leave  him  until  more 
than  a  week  had  passed. 


DUNE  DALE,  THE  HOUSE 

THAT   DICK   AND 

JACK  IJUILT 


HE  Lanier-Clancy  reve- 
lation had  such  a  dis- 
astrous effect  upon  Dick 
and  Jack's  spirits  that 
they  lost  all  interest  in 
their  usual  amusements 
and  employments,  and 
roamed  about  in  such  a 
disconsolate  way,  that 
both  Moline  and  the 
giant  felt  quite  uneasy 
about  them. 

On  one  occasion  when 

the  boys  were  riding  up 

the  beach  in  a  listless 

way  a  conversation  oc- 

'/  •*"  •    -  curred  which  showed 

[into  what  kind  of  channels  their  thoughts  were  persistently  running, 
jack  abruptly  asked  :     "  Dick,  do  you  think  that  preaching  does 

anybody  any  good  ?" 


!i    I 


i  l| 


il  ! 


Jlll    I 


liii 


250 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Dick  was  startled,  for  that  was  almost  the  very  question  that  was 
puzzling  his  own  mind.  Being  loth  to  have  it  known,  however,  that 
such  was  the  case,  he  chose,  tor  the  time  being,  at  least,  to  receive 
the  idea  as  a  novelty,  and  he  returned  it  to  Jack  with  another  ques- 
tion, saying :     "  What  in  the  world  put  that  into  your  head  ?" 

"  Well,  it's  just  this  way:  We  have  lived  in  a  minister's  family 
all  our  days,  and  have  listened  to  preaching  all  our  lives.  Father 
has  told  us,  again  and  again,  to  be  swift  to  hear,  slow  to  speak,  slow 
to  wrath.  He  said  that  we  were  such  peppery  fellows,  that  if  we 
didn't  keep  our  Carolina  tempers  bridled,  they'd  get  us  into  lots  of 
trouble  before  we  got  through.  Why,  the  very  last  time  we  sat  with 
him,  under  the  shadow  of  the  Witch  of  Endor,  and  you  and  I  were 
spatting  about  the  marbles  we  were  playing  with  beach  pebbles,  don't 
you  remember  what  he  said  to  us?"  ' 

"Yes,  I  remember  his  very  words,  but  I  am  sure  that  he  got  them 
out  of  the  Bible  ;  this  is  what  he  said  :  •  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is 
better  than  the  mighty,  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city.'  " 

"  Exactly!  and  that's  the  kind  of  thing  that  has  been  ding-danged 
into  us  by  sledge-hammer  ever  since  we  were  born ;  yet,  when 
Boggs — I  mean  Clancy,  poor  fellow — laid  the  whip  upon  my  cheek, 
I  was  within  a  hair  of  blazing  the  life  out  of  him." 

"So  was  I,  Jack,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  that  was  one  of  the 
things  I  was  thinking  of  when  you  blurted  that  question  at  me 
just  now." 

"Well,  then,  if  all  father's  preaching  has  done  us  no  more  good 
than  that,  what's  the  use  of  preaching,  anyway,  I'd  like  to  know? 
Clancy  killed  Captain  Lanier's  brother  in  a  fit  of  anger,  and  that  is 
the  very  thing  we  came  so  near  doing  to  Clancy  when  we  got  so  mad 
at  him."        .     :  ,;  "  ■   . 

"  But  we  didn't  do  it  I"  Dick  exclaimed,  with  a  choking  gasp,  pro- 
duced by  the  acuteness  of  the  remembrance.  "  Yet,  when  my  gun 
flew  to  my  shoulder,  I  meant  to  fire  without  giving  further  warning ; 
the  sight  of  the  blood  spurting  from  your  cheek  knocked  the  sense] 
clean  out  of  me." 


..«f.f»»»       .T-tt'tilS 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


251 


"  What  prevented  you  from  firing,  Dick?" 

"  I  saw  father's  face  between  me  and  Clancy  as  distinctly  as  1  over 
saw  It  in  my  life ;  that  is  why  1  didn't  fire." 
"  What  if  Clancy  had  struck  again  ?" 
"  But  he  didn't — and  that  ended  it." 

"  When  you  say  that  you  saw  father's  face,  you  mean  that  you  re- 
membered it,  don't  you  ?" 
"Yes,  I  suppose  I  do." 

"  Well,  that  is  just  what  kept  me  from  firing;  his  face  and  his  way 
of  reproving,  1  remembered  like  a  flash,  and  that  is  what  held  me 
back.  But  what  are  you  smiling  at?  I  don't  see  anything  to  laugh 
at.     We  were  i.oth  just  mad  enough  for  anything  " 

'*  I  guess  all  this  bang-whanging  and  preaching  is  good  for  some- 
thing, after  all,  Jack,  and  it  makes  me  smile  to  think  how  we  have 
tumbled  upon  the  fact.  We  were  mad — dangerously  mad,  and  it 
was  father's  teaching  and  example  that  kept  us  from  the  thing 
that  would  have  ruined  us  for  life,  and  darkened  home  for  all 
time." 

"Why,  that's  so,  isn't  it?"  and  now  Jack  was  also  smiling  with 
satisfaction,  as  he  added  :  "  I  guess  that,  after  all.  preaching  is  good 
for  something,  and  I'm  glad  I  can  think  so." 

They  had  now  reached  .that  pgrt  of  the  beach  where  the  larger 
part  of  the  wreckage  of  the  Aberdeen  had  come  ashore,  and,  much 
relieved  by  their  escape  from  a  very  troublesome  question,  they  dis- 
mounted and  began  to  rove  among  the  heaps  of  stuff  scattered 
around  them. 

When  one  thing  goes  out  of  the  mind  something  else  is  sure  to 
come  in  to  take  its  place,  and  Jack  said:  "  Look  here,  Dick,  it  is 
getting  to  be  so  warm  and  comfortable  about  here  now,  we  might  go 
to  work  and  build  a  sort  of  a  summer  cottage  out  of  that  cabin 
stuff,  and  then  come  up  here  and  camp  out.  It  will  give  us  some- 
thing to  do,  and  the  Laniers  can  have  the  Maskomet  to  themselves, 
which  will  be  better  for  them  and  better  for  us.  Furniture  would  not 
cost  us  anything,  seeing  there  is  so  much  of  it  lying  about  waiting 
for  anybody  to  pick  it  up." 


in 


1 1ll 


I  ' 


■11 


hi 


llili 


P 


!li:' 


illljl'i 

i'   i 


»,,  „:  tipllili 
utirili  m^f 


252 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Dick  caught  at  the  idea  so  quickly,  and  with  such  enthusiasm, 
that  they  drove  back  to  the  station  to  lay  the  plan  before  Captain 
Moline, 

Moline  encouraged  them,  and  assured  them  that  the  whole  station 
kit  of  tools  should  be  at  their  disposal,  anc  that  they  might  build 
either  a  castle  or  a  cottage,  just  as  they  pleased, 

"  And  may  we  boss  the  whole  of  it  ourselves  ?"  Jack  asked. 

"  Most  certainly.  And  if  anybody  presumes  to  offer  you  so  much 
as  a  single  suggestion,  we'll  fine  him  a  penny  and  dock  him  on  his 
tea  or  coffee  for  a  whole  day." 

Jumps  was  standing  by,  and,  overjoyed  to  think  that  his  boy-friends 
were  ready  for  something  new,  he  said  :  "  Ven  dot  house  vas  pe 
vixed,  she  vas  hafe  dose  chairs  mit  dem  dables  und  zofas,und  efery 
udder  thing  vat  she  don't  hafe  pefore  ;  und  dot  gottage  vas  pe  so  full  of 
vurnichure  dot  she  vill  hafe  to  pust  geepin'  it  mltin  herselluf  vor 
dose  poys." 

"  You  can  lay  out  a  twenty-four  by  sixteen  floor,"  said  Moline,  for- 
getting all  about  fines  and  penalties,  "  and  with  a  few  stout  uprights  for 
posts,  can  support  a  low,  rain-shedding  roof  made  of  the  light  wrack- 
age  of  the  Aberdeen's  cabin,  and  then  use  some  of  that  canvas  that 
has  come  on  shore  for  your  cottage  walls.  As  Jumps  says,  there 
will  be  no  lack  of  furniture  for  you  ;  there  is  enough  of  it  lying  around 
up  there  to  furnish  half  a  dozen  castles  throughout ;  you  can  have  a 
sofa  for  every  wall  inside  and  out." 

By  this  time  the  giant  was  grinning  at  the  captain  and  winking] 
at  the  boys  as  impishly  as  if  he  were  but  a  midget  of  a  creature. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?"  Moline  asked,  innocently. 

"  Ach,  gaptin  !  you  vas  succhest,  und  succhest,  und  succhest  dill  I 
your  vine  vas  pe  terventy  pennies,  und  all  dot  dea  und  covvc  vat  shej 
don't  gits  vor  a  veek,  don't  it  ?" 

Moline  was  a  man  who  could  laugh  at  his  own  blunders  as  heartilyl 
as  most  people  laugh  at  the  blunders  of  others,  and  seeing  how  he 
had  broken  his  own  rule  before  it  was   cold   from  his  lips,  he  franklyj 
owned  up  and  said  r    "  You  see,  boys,  I'm  shutting  off  others  froirl 
giving  you  advice  so  that  1  can  do  all  the  giving  myself.     But,  really 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


253 


enthusiasm, 
jre  Captain 

'hole  station 
might  build 

asked. 

^ou  so  much 

k  him  on  his 

,s  boy-friends 
house  vas  pe 
fas.und  efery 
IS  pe  so  full  of 
herselluf  vor 

id  Moline,  for- 
ut  uprights  for 
e  light  wrack- 
.t  canvas  that 
IS  says,  there 
[it  lying  around 
DU  can  have  a 

and  winking  I 
creature. 

locently. 

succhest  dill  I 
Icovvc  vat  she 

lers  as  heartily! 
leeing  how  he 
lips,  he  franklyl 
Iff  others  froirl 
But,  really 


I  was  so  mucn  in  earnest  about  steering  you,  that  I  forgot  all  about 
the  compass  I  had  stowed  in  the  binnacle  for  myself.  Jumps  has 
my  authority  for  enforcing  the  fine,  which  he  can  use  for  the  purchase 
of  a  peanut  treat,  you  know." 

"  Dot  beanudt  dreat  vas  git  here  ven  ve  vas  stop  dot  sucches- 
tion  right  ervay,  gaptin."  remarked  the  giant,  with  another  succes- 
sion of  grins. 

But  the  boys  acted  upon  the  captain's  hints,  and  went  to  work 
with  such  a  will  that  in  three  days  the  cottage,  built  between  two 
small  dunes,  on  a  little  point  that  commanded  a  wide  view,  was  ready 
for  the  bush  which  Jack  brought  from  the  station  and  nailed  upon  the 
gable  fronting  the  sea. 

Jumps  was  on  hand  to  witness  the  nailing  of  the  bush,  and  the 
boys  said  to  him  :    "  We  have  named  the  cottage  Dune  Dale." 

"  Tune  Tale  vas  as  goot  as  Dick  Jack  vor  dot  name,  und  right 
ervay  she  vas  pe  so  habby  ven  dose  poys  vas  mitin  her  dot  she  vas 
say,  '  come  mitin,'  to  eferypody  vat  she  looks  at."  And  the  giant 
came  near  walking  his  big  legs  off,  so  anxious  was  he  to  inspect  the 
premises  from  every  possible  point  of  view. 

The  boys  tacked  one  of  the  royalsails  of  the  Aberdeen  on  the  floor, 
thus  covering  all  tffe  cracks  between  the  planking,  and  forming  a 
carpet  that  was  thick  and  neat.  They  brought  in  from  one  of  the 
heaps  of  furniture  stacked  upon  the  upper  beach  a  heavily  car^/ed 
walnut  bedstead  that  was  big  enough  to  accommodate  the  entire 
family  of  the  "  Old  Woman  That  Lived  in  a  Shoe."  By  search- 
ing for  its  companion  pieces,  they  discovered  a  spring  mattress 
sufficiently  large  to  fill  the  space  that  yawned  between  the  sides. 
With  this  foundation  laid,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  getting  to- 
gether enough  of  other  fittings  to  furnish  a  bed  that,  though 
some  of  the  coverings  were  scarcely  in  keeping  with  the  sur- 
rounding framework,  was  yet  decent  enough  to  prevent  the  boys 
from  lying  awake. 

In  another  corner  they  placed  a  what-not.  surmounted  with  a 
statuette  of  Shakespeare,  whose  nose  had  been  knocked  off  before 
he  was  allov  ^d  to  land  on  the  Island.    A  big  oaken  buffet,  with  fat, 


I 


!i   II 


W 


'I 

"111 


m 


fm 


ill! 


iiiiilliU 

iiiii|Hi;i 


mm  '■ . 


254 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


round-swelling  front  ornamented  with  carvings,  was  put  in  the  third 
corner.  They  thought  of  putting  a  heavy  walnut  secretary  in  the  re- 
maining corner,  but  it  proved  to  be  so  unwieldly,  and,  withal,  so 
badly  scarred  by  the  surf  and  blistered  by  the  sun,  they  reserved  it 
for  firewood. 

There  was  such  a  profusion  of  other  furniture  at  their  disposal, 
they  were  as  much  embarrassed  as  a  newly-wedded  couple  turned 
loose  into  a  furniture  warehouse.  But  they  put  a  big,  eliptical  ma- 
hogany table  in  the  center  of  the  room,  and,  for  the  rest,  brought  in 
six  plush  parlor  chairs,  two  great  mahogany  rockers  and  an  enormous 
tete-a-tete,  which  last  they  installed  on  the  side  opposite  the  bed. 
All  these  pieces  were  rather  the  worse  for  surf  and  weather,  but,  as 
Dick  said,  this  saved  them  from  appearing  green  at  the  business, 
and  gave  the  respectability  that  comes  from  age 

Back  of  this  "  sumptuously"  furnished  room  the  boys  constructed 
a  lean-to  for  kitchen  uses.  When  all  was  done.  Jack  could  not  sup- 
press the  satisfaction  he  experienced,  and  he  exclaimed,  jubilantly : 
"  If  Job  could  have  gotten  as  good  a  place  as  this  after  his  house 
was  blown  down,  he  would  have  thanked  the  Lord  and  taken 
courage." 

Dick  laughed,  as  he  said  :  "  Why,  jack,  you  talk  almost  as  piously 
as  Deacon  Snowden,  of  Yarmouth." 

"  Well,  it's  good  enough  to  make  one  feel  as  good  as  a  whole 
prayer  meeting.  If  the  Lord  would  only  give  us  a  tree  or  two,  we 
could  get  along  without  much  grumbling.  Well,  the  wild  peas  are 
beginning  to  sprout,  and  we  can  put  some  of  ihem  in  front  of  the 
veranda  and  train  them  up  the  posts.  Only  think  of  it — then  we 
shall  have  blue  blossoms  without  number.  And  we  can  transplant  a 
lot  of  the  wild  strawberry  vines  and  raise  all  the  strawberries  we 
want,  and,  if  we  knew  that  we  had  to  stay  here  till  fall,  we  would  get 
some  of  those  huckleberry  bushes  and  go  into  the  huckleberry  busi- 
ness. As  for  hens,  we'll  let  the  gulls  furnish  all  the  eggs  we  want." 
And  Jack  saw  so  many  possibilities  before  them,  that  he  began  a 
series  of  steps  not  laid  down  in  any  dancing  book  of  which  we  have 
any  knowledge  up  to  this  date. 


i^fip^pp^^^^ww_JJ|..,  •  ■;--■'   ;^- 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


255 


"Speaking  of  trees,  Jack,"  said  Dick,  "  if  the  Lord  hasn't  any 
real  objection  to  them  In  this  place,  there  is  that  stubby  old  fir  tree 
that  came  ashore  in  the  drift,  and  that  we  stuck  into  the  sand  down 
at  the  station  ;  we  can  bring  it  up  here  and  put  it  in  front  of  our  ver- 
anda, you  know."  ■:  v 

"  You  are  chaffing,  now;  but  we'll  have  it  up  here,  anyhow,  for  it 
is  handsome  even  in  the  skeleton,  and  so  round,  thick  and  beauti- 
fully shaped  every  way,  that  it  will  do  our  eyes  good  to  have  it 
in  sight." 

When  Jumps  looked  in  upon  them  for  the  first  time  after  they  had 
everything  in  order,  he  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room  and, pivoting 
himself  upon  his  feet,  made  a  complete  revolution,  and  surveyed 
every  object  in  sight. 

"  Mein  grr — rra-shuss!"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  vas  nodt  git  on  dot 
zofa  pefore  mein  drouzers  vas  bulled  down  mit  dose  poots.  If  mein 
kirl  vas  here,  I  vas  set  so  glose  mit  her  dot  I  vas  giss  her  und  den 
her  vas  giss  me  some  more  pesides." 

"  Why,  Jumps,  did  you  ever  do  any  courting — did  you  ever  really 
kiss  a  girl  ?"  Jack  asked. 

"  Nein!  Only  vonce  ven  1  vas  gissed  dot,  vat  you  call  guzzen, 
und  pooty  qvick  I  don't  do  it  any  more.  Her  vas  slapped  me  so 
hart  mein  hetvasveels  like  dot  pell  vat  rings  so  loudt  in  der  sdeeple. 
Nein!     She  vas  nodt  giss  no  guzzens  some  more." 

The  two  dunes  nearest  the  cottage  looked  so  bare.  Jack  com- 
plained of  them  to  Jumps,  who  said  ;  "  Veil,  you  vas  soon  vix  dot 
py  vaitin'  dill  dose  bettikotes  vas  git  here." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  Der  bea  vines  vas  pe  here  pefore  longs,  und  den  she  hafe  dem 
bettikotes  mit  green  und  blue,  vat  look  like  she  vas  made  in 
Himmel." 

Topsy  and  Turvy  at  first  protested  against  being  removed  from 
the  comfortable  shade  of  the  Maskomet's  hold,  but  when  a 
wooden  awning  was  erected  for  their  benefit  at  Dune  Dale,  they 
adopted  their  new  quarters  without  complaint,  and  were  all  the  more 


i 


256 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


contented  because  the  Bernard  visited  them  and  the  boys  more  or 
less  every  day.    - 

When  one  thing  more  was  done,  the  cottage  outfit  would  be  com- 
plete ;  a  plank  floor  to  their  kitchen  was  what  the  boys  now  resolved 
upon  laying  without  delay.  Picking  up  enough  of  drift  planking  to 
answer  their  purpose,  they  immediately  began  to  prepare  a  founda- 
tion of  level  sand  upon  which  the  planks  could  be  evenly  laid.  This 
required  the  removal  of  about  eighteen  inches  of  beach  grass  hum- 
mocks, a  no  slight  task,  because  the  roots  went  down  so  deeply.  In 
one  place  where  they  had  to  cut  down  about  two  feet,  they  struck  an 
obstacle  that  appeared  to  be  a  fragment  of  old  decking,  which  had 
come  ashore  from  some  old  wreck.  But,  great  was  their  surprise. 
when,  on  striking  it  with  the  axe,  they  discovered  that  there  was  a 
hollow  space  below.  '■        * 

"  Good  conscience!"  exclaimed  Dick.  "  1  hope  that  we  have  not 
run  afoul  of  a  coffin ;  anyway,  we'll  see  all  there  is  to  be  seen,  even 
If  it's  a  dune  ghost." 

Cutting  a  hole  through  the  obstruction,  they  were  still  more  aston- 
ished to  find  that  the  cavity  below  extended  farther  than  they  had 
dreamed  of. 

"  Fetch  me  a  candle."  said  Dick,  excitedly. 

When  this  was  brought,  he  stuck  it  into  a  split  of  a  stick  and  thrust 
it  down  into  the  darkness,  and.  by  this  means,  discovered  that  the 
cavity  was  an  unmistakable  room  of  some  kind. 

"  There  is  our  cellar.' '  said  Jack,  triumphantly,  "  already  walled  up, 
and  waiting  for  our  apples,  potatoes,  turnips,  cabbages,  pumpkins  and 
provisions  and  goodies  of  every  sort  and  description.  If  a  donation 
party  would  only  come  along  and  shovel  things  in  there  as  they  used 
to  shovel  them  Into  father's  cellar  in  Yarmouth,  we'd  get  Jumps  to 
come  up  here  and  play  '  Yankee  Doodle  '  for  us  '  right  ervay,  pooty 
qvick.'  as  he  is  so  fond  of  saying." 

But  Dick  was  thinking  of  other  things.  He  knew  that  Sable 
Island,  from  the  very  first  dawn  ot  ocean  navigation,  had  been  the 
graveyard  of  vessels.  This  much  he  had  learned  from  the  surgeon, 
who  was  well  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  island,  and  with  the 


1' 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


257 


s  more  or 

d  be  com- 
J7  resolved 
lanking  to 
a  founda- 
laid.     This 
[rass  hum- 
ieeply.     In 
/  struck  an 
which  had 
ir  surprise, 
lere  was  a 

^e  have  not 
seen,  even 

more  aston- 
an  they  had 


,k  and  thrust 
led  that  the 

By  walled  up. 
impkins  and 
a  donation 
IS  they  used 
;t  Jumps  to 
lervay.  pooty 

that  Sable 
id  been  the 
|the  surgeon, 
ind  with  the 


Sfurveys  and  reports  sent  out  from  the  marine  department  of  the 
Provinces,  There  was  no  telling  how  many  boats,  schooners  and 
larger  vessels  were  buried  up  in  the  sands.  Almost  every  gale  of 
wind  unearthed  some  buried  relic  of  the  past — anchors,  chains,  masts, 
ribs  of  vessels,  sharks,  whales  and  other  sea  monsters.  The  surgeon 
had  told  him  that  the  island  was  slowly  shifting  its  position — moving 
northward,  as  it  were.  The  south  of  the  island  was  cut  into  by  the  cur- 
rents of  the  sea,  and  every  now  and  then  some  forgotten  wreck  was 
disentombed  and  washed  away ;  while  many  vessels  that  had  gone 
down  on  the  north  side  of  the  island  were  being  covered  up  by  the 
accumulating  sand.  The  process  was  visibly  going  on  in  the  case  of 
hulks  still  in  sight.  The  Maskomet  was  gathering  the  sand  about 
her  like  a  white  shroud,  and  it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when  she 
should  disappear  from  sight  altogether.  Dick  had  thought  of  her 
more  than  once  as  finally  having  a  dune  gathered  over  her  for  a 
grave  mound.  He  w^  naturally  curious  about  such  things,  and  while 
Jack,  in  the  exuberance  of  his  spirits,  was  rattling  on  about  cellars, 
thinking  of  the  hurly-burly  of  parsonage  donations — those  sacred  dis- 
sipations, consecrated  makeshifts  and  holy  abominations  in  which  so 
many  milk-and-water  professors,  and  so  many  manikin  ministers 
take  such  infantile  jack-in-the-box,  nickle-in-the-slot  and  penny- 
halleluia  delight — Dick  was  thinking  of  the  vast  changes  wrought  by 
the  irresistible  forces  of  Nature.  He  had,  in  fact,  just  lifted  his  head 
above  the  fogs  of  mere  boyish  dreams,  and  gotten  his  first  and  some- 
what startling  view  of  the  real  world. 

"This  is  a  very  strange  thing,"  he  said;  "we  have  built  Dune 
Dale  over  the  deck  of  a  sand-covered  wreck.  We  will  keep  our  dis- 
covery to  ourselves,  at  least,  for  a  while,  and  see  what  we  can  find 
below  us.  Go  and  keep  a  good  lookout  while  I  enlarge  the  hole 
and  make  it  big  enough  for  us  to  descend  ;  and  while  you  are  keep- 
ing watch,  when  I  have  made  the  cutting,  I  will  arrange  the  planks 
ve  have  pulled  in  here  so  that  they  can  be  laid  over  the  opening  at 
a  moment's  warning.  1  will  also  put  one  down  into  the  cavity  so 
that  we  can  descend  by  it,  and  will  get  candles  and  matches,  and  si 


i  I' 


liii 


■■■:.J-J-};V^;] 


258 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


iih    ! 


hatchet  and  hammer,  so  that  when  I  whistle  for  you  we  can  go  down 
and  explore." 

There  was  no  interruption,  and,  when  all  the  arrangements  were 
completed,  the  boys  lighted  a  candle,  and  Dick,  golne:  down  first  on 
the  slanting  plank,  directed  Jack,  before  he  left  the  opening,  to  pull 
one  of  the  loose  pieces  over  it  so  that  it  would  be  concealed  should 
anybody  come  in  while  they  were  below. 

They  landed  on  a  floor  of  sand,  and  wishing  to  know  how  deep  it 
was,  for  there  was  six  feet  of  space  over  their  heads,  Dick  hurried 
up  again  and  got  a  sand  shovel,  with  which,  when  he  got  belcw 
again,  he  dug  through  about  two  feet  of  sand  to  a  level  floor  of  wood. 
On  making  a  search  they  found  themselves  in  a  room  nine  feet  wide 
by  sixteen  in  length  ;  it  was  a  cabin,  finished  in  a  style  unlike  any- 
thing the  boys  had  ever  seen  in  the  vessel  line.  The  wood  was 
time-stained  and  damp ;  but,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  cracks  and 
a  bulging  line  here  and  there,  was  in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

While  they  were  lifting  their  candle  to  look  at  the  ceiling  they 
heard  footsteps  on  the  planking  over  the  entrance,  and  they  blew  out 
their  light  and  kept  silent. 

Presently  they  heard  Jumps'  voice  saying,  m.uch  to  their  amuse- 
ment :  "  Dose  poys  vas  nodt  anyvheres.  I  pet  she  vas  gone  mlt 
dose  kuns  down  mlt  dot.  lake  vor  more  tucks.  Dis  blum-tuff  vat  I 
prlngs  vas  hafe  to  vait  dill  she  vas  git  pack  some  more.  Ach  !  put 
dls  gitchen  she  makes  vas  petter  nor  dot  vun  at  dot  station.  Ven 
she  hafe  dot  stove  up  mlt  dot  blpe,  she  vas  make  his  own  blum-tuff 
ever  so  goot  as  mein,  und  I  vas  daste  It  vor  him  und  say  It  vas  goot 
as  vat  Jumps  makes." 

A  snuffing  noise  at  the  cracks  between  the  planks  indicated  that 
the  Bernard  was  on  the  track  of  things  below,  and  that  the  boys 
were  in  danger  of  being  discovered.  Jumps  suspected  nothing,  how- 
ever, and  they  heard  him  call  the  dog  and  depart. 

Plum-duff  was  not  made  every  day,  but  Jumps  had  just  achieved 
an  especially  good  one,  which  he  was  anxious  for  the  boys  to  test, 
so  he  had  brought  a  big  bowl  of  It  over  for  their  benefit.  Not  find- 
ing them,  he  put  it  in  the  center  of  the  mahogany  table,  where  it 


go  down 

nts  were 
1  first  on 
g.  to  pull 
;d  should 

w  deep  it 
;k  hurried 
got  belcw 
r  of  wood. 
J  feet  wide 
inlike  any- 
wood  was 
cracks  and 
srvation. 
:eiling  they 
2y  blew  out 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


259 


would  be  sure  to  attract  their  attention  when  they  returned. 
He  went  away  whistling  in  great  content  over  the  generosity  of  his 
good-will.  .      •  ■  • 

But  the  Bernard  remained  behind  to  satisfy  himself  about  the 
mystery  under  those  two  planks.  In  a  trice  he  pulled  the  planks 
aside,  and,  hearing  the  breathing  of  the  boys  below,  threw  himself 
down  the  opening  with  such  headlong  precipitation  that  he  landed 
squarely  on  Jack,  and  almost  flattened  him  into  a  pancake  as  he  and 
his  victim  rolled  over  in  the  sand. 


Idicated  that 
lat  the  boys 
)thing,  how- 


ist  achieved 
|boys  to  test. 
Not  find- 
Die,  where  it 


rnmsBomtrnm 


m 


yg^ 


NUTS!  NUTS  I  HERK'S  NUTS! 

AS  the  roof  of  the  old  hole 
tumbled  in?"  Jack  asked,  as 
soon  as  he  could  disgorge 
some  of  the  sand  he  had  ship- 
ped into  his  mouth  in  the 
tumble. 

Bingo,  taking  the  words  for 
an  encouragement,  reared 
his  ponderous  form,  and 
putting  his  forefeet  against 
Jack's  shoulders,  knocked 
him  down  for  the  second 
time. 

"  Good  gracious,  Dick ! 
Have  we  fallen   into  the 
lion's  den,  or  has  the  lion's  den 
fallen  into  us  ?" 

"  If  you  will  light  your  candle, 
you  will  find  out  for  yourself," 
Dick  replied,   grinning    in  the 


darkness  with  as  much  liberality  of  face  as  though  he  were  saluting 
an  audience  before  the  footlights. 

"  Candle  ?  Why,  that  has  gone  to  Jericho  to  see  if  it  can  find 
another  Good  Samaritan.  Light  yours  and  you  may  find  mine 
before  it  gets  too  far  on  the  way." 

2G1 


262 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Hill'  i  :■'■■» 


When  Dick  struck  his  light  he  found  that  Bingo  was  making  a 
mouthful  of  the  lost  candle,  which  he  had  picked  up  from  the  sand. 
"  Drop  that,  you  scoundrel,"  said  he,  "  do  you  think  you  are  in  a 
butcher's  shop  because  you  have  found  a  tallow  dip  ?  You  didn't 
fall  far  enough  to  reach  any  fresh  beef."  •' 

The  dog  sheepishly  dropped  the  sweet  morsel,  and,  by  way  of 
apology,  also  dropped  himself  into  the  sand. 

■,  "  Now,  hold  this  light  while  I  use  the  shovel,"  Dick  said,  as  he 
passed  the  candle  to  Jack.  At  the  first  stroke  of  the  shovel  he  struck 
something  metallic,  which,  on  being  brought  to  the  surface,  proved 
to  be  a  handsomely  hilted  dagger  firmly  rusted  into  what  had  once 
been  an  elaborately  ornamented  sheath. 

"  What  sort  of  a  beginning  do  you  call  that — is  it  good  or  bad  ?" 
Jack  asked. 

"  We  can  tell  better  when  we  h^ve  reached  the  end  ;  but  at  any 
rate  it  is  a  sign  that  we  should  go  over  this  floor  carefully.  I  will 
begin  there  at  the  other  end  and  shovel  crosswise  the  whole  width 
of  the  cabin,  and  then  we  can  go  over  the  whole  floor  strip  by  strip, 
so  that  if  there's  anything  else  in  the  sand  we  shall  be  sure  to  find 
it.  It  will  take  time,  but  everybody  has  plenty  of  time  on  Sable 
Island,  and  we  might  as  well  be  doing  this  as  anything  else.  It  is 
rather  funny,  though,  that  we  should  find  a  dagger  in  such  a  place  as 
this,  and  such  an  old  one  as  that  is."  ^  v^^ 

They  discovered  nothing  more  in  the  first  strip  they  dug,  save  two 
small,  white  bones,  which  they  were  not  bonologists  enough  to  class- 
ify. But,  in  the  next  strip,  they  turned  up  a  big,  old-fashioned,  flint- 
lock horse  pistol  and  two  equally  ancient  flintlock  guns. 

After  examining  and  hefting  them,  Jack  exclaimed :  "  What 
blundering  big  things  they  are !  Must  belong  to  the  blunderbuss 
family  of  arms.  Say,  Dick,  I'd  like  to  know  what  sort  of  a  ship  we 
have  shipped  aboard  of  now.  Strikes  me  that  she  beats  the  Masko- 
met  out  of  sight." 

"  Put  those  things,  bones  and  all,  by  themselves,"  was  Dick's  re- 
ply, "  and  remember,  that  if  you  ask  too  many  questions,  you'll  not 
be  likely  to  get  an  answer  to  any  of  them." 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


263 


making  a 
the  sand, 
u  are  in  a 
'ou  didn't 

by  way  of 

aid,  as  he 
1  he  struck 
Lce.  proved 
;  had  once 

i  or  bad?" 

;  but  at  any 
ally.     1  will 
whole  width 
rip  by  strip, 
sure  to  find 
e  on  Sable 
else.     It  is 
h  a  place  as 

ug,  save  two 
gh  to  class- 
[lioned,  flint- 

••  What 
blunderbuss 
of  a  ship  we 
the  Masko- 

is  Dick's  re- 
\s,  you'll  not 


The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth,  when  he  turned  up  the 
head  of  a  boarding  pike,  and,  immediately  after  this,  a  stubby  side- 
sword  with  a  fragment  of  a  sword  belt  attached,  and  two  vessels,  which, 
at  first,  they  took  to  be  half-gallon  measures.  The'.e  last  were  of 
such  a  peculiar,  and,  withai,  of  such  a  really  handsome  shape,  that 
Dick,  with  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  threw  down  his  shovel  that  he 
might  examine  them  to  better  advantage. 

Answering  his  own  first  impressions,  Dick  said,  after  noticing  the 
lids,  the  handles  and  the  raised  ornaments  on  the  sides,  and  also  the 
weight:  "These  are  not  half-gallon  measures,  but  genuine  old 
drinking  cups— tankards — that  we  have  read  about." 

"  Regular  tanks,  and  no  mistake,"  said  Jack,  who  was  bubbling 
over  with  miischief.  If  that's  the  size  of  the  drinking  cups  their 
owners  used  to  drink  out  of,  I'd  like  to  know  how  big  their  hog- 
troughs  were." 

As  the  metal  was  smooth,  though  much  darkened  with  age,  Dick, 
tingling  with  expectation,  tapped  the  cups  with  a  smart  blow  of  the 
hasp  of  his  knife,  and  elicited  a  sound  so  clear  and  tinkling,  a 
strong  imagination  might  have  taken  it  for  the  echo  of  the  music  of 
ancient  revelry. 

"  By  Jove,  Jack!  these  tankards  are  as  surely  silver  as  those  two 
bones  are  bones."  Handing  the  vessels  to  Jack,  he  added  :  "  The 
fellows  who  had  such  things  as  those  would  be  likely  to  have  other 
things  in  the  same  line."  He  was  interrupted  by  the  appearance  of 
a  third  drinking  cup,  a  little  smaller  than  the  other  two,  and  the  frag- 
ments of  what  appeared  to  be  a  small  table.  Then  followed  other 
fragments  of  the  former  furniture  of  the  cabin.  After  removing 
these,  he  came  upon  a  pile  of  bones,  of  whose  nature  he  had  his 
suspicions,  as  did  Jack  also.  Dick  intended  to  keep  his  thoughts  to 
himself,  and  pushed  on  in  his  work,  removing  the  sand  carefully,  so 
as  to  leave  the  relics  as  nearly  in  their  original  position  as  pos- 
sible. When  he  had  laid  bare  a  skull.  Jack,  terrified  by  the  sight, 
exclaimed  : 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  Dick,  let's  get  out  of  this  as  soon  as 
we  can!"  •         - 


^\- 


Hi  I 


264 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"  Don't  be  foolish,  Jack,"  said  Dick,  explosively,  "  there  Is  noth- 
ing about  those  bones  that  you  need  be  afraid  of.  Why  can't  you 
be  consistent  ?  After  the  great  storm  we  had  here,  in  which  the  old 
whale  was  torn  to  pieces,  you  went  through  the  jaws  of  the  old  fellow 
and  skipped  about  among  his  ribs  and  other  bones  as  frisky  as  if  you 
were  a  kitten  playing  with  balls  of  yarn.  If  you  were  not  afraid  of 
the  bones  of  such  a  big  thing  as  a  whale,  why  should  you  be  afraid  of 
the  bones  of  such  a  small  thing  as  a  human  being?" 

"  A  fellow  had  the  whole  sun  to  back  him  up  there,"  Jack  retorted, 
"  but  here  there  is  only  a  candle.  Go  ahead,  if  you  are  so  set  about  it ; 
I  can  stand  it  if  you  can."  Ridicule  always  had  the  effect  of  put- 
ting Jack  on  his  mettle,  especially  when  it  came  from  Dick  as  an 
aspersion  on  his  courage. 

Let  us  condense  the  account  of  the  succeeding  discoveries  among 
the  bones.  There  were  three  skeletons,  which  fell  apart  the  moment 
the  supporting  sand  was  removed,  and  many  of  the  fragments  were 
so  much  decayed  that  they  crumbled  at  a  touch.  One  skeleton  had 
a  hole  in  the  skull ;  this  one  laid  by  itself.  The  other  two  appeared 
to  be  locked  together ;  the  skull  of  one  of  these  was  crushed  in  as  if 
by  a  blow  from  some  blunt  instrument.  The  bones  of  one  hand  were 
locked  around  the  handle  of  an  old-fashioned,  unwieldy  pistol,  such 
'  as  has  already  been  described,  while  close  to  the  hand  of  the  under- 
lying  skeleton,  lay  a  murderous,  unsheathed  instrument,  which  looked 
like  a  cross  between  a  dagger  and  a  short  sword. 

The  positions  and  accompaniments  were  such  that  the  tragedy  was 
self-evident,  Dick  had  his  thoughts,  but  kept  them  under  lock ;  Jack 
had  his,  as  well,  but  turned  the  key  and  let  them  out.  •      ; 

"  Why,  Dick,  there  has  be^n  murder  here  1"  .. 

*'  Yes ;  a  fight  of  some  kind,"  And  while  the  chills  were  running 
down  his  back,  and  to  offset  Jack's  renewed  fears,  Dick  grimly 
added:  "But  it  happened  so  long  ago,  we'll  not  be  suspected  of 
having,  had  any  hand  in  it." 

"  If  you  are  going  to  be  such  a  cucumber  of  a  fellow  as  all  that." 
said  Jack,  considerably  nettled,  "  I  think  that  I  can  be  as  cool  as 
you  ;  so  you  needn't  bring  along  any  more  of  your  ice." 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


265 


"  Stick  to  that,  then,  and  don't  be  thinking  of  bogies  all  the  time. 
Those  fellows  have  been  dead  so  long  they  can't  trouble  ui;.  Here, 
hold  this  shovel,  while  I  throw  these  bones  into  a  heap  bv  themselves, 
and  see  what  there  is  below  them.  Hold  the  candle  nearer,  so  that 
1  can  see." 

While  removing  the  ghastly  relics,  Dick  picked  up  two  large,  plain 
rings,  and  three  jewelled  rings,  which  glistened  in  the  light  quite 
brilliantly ;  there  was  also  a  large  oval,  closed  locket  with  small  chain 
attached.  It  v  as  easy  to  understand  that  all  these  trinkets  had  be- 
longed to  the  ornaments  of  the  persons  v/hose  bones  had  come  to 
light.  Putting  these  in  his  pocket,  Dick  next  disclosed  a  small 
casket  clasped  in  a  skeleton  hand,  and  close  by  there  was  the  edge 
of  a  large  iron  box. 

"  Here,  Jack,  hold  on  to  this  casket  while  I  dig  out  that  box," 
said  Dick,  in  a  voice  so  changed  by  his  excitement,  that  it  seemed 
the  voice  of  another  person.  Jack,  himself,  being  under  a  similar 
tension  of  feeling,  received  the  box  in  silence,  and  held  it  under  one 
arm,  while  he  bent  over  so  as  to  throw  the  candle-rays  more  directly 
upon  Dick's  work. 

When  the  second  box  was  uncovered  it  was  found  to  be  resting 
against  a  third,  which  was  somewhat  smaller,  and  stacked  around 
this  were  many  pieces  of  plate,  which  had  to  be  removed  before  the 
other  boxes  could  be  fully  cleared  of  the  sand  around  them.  When 
the  plate,  two  hundred  and  eleven  pieces  in  number,  was  put  in  a 
heap  by  itself,  Dick,  perspiring  hotly,  and  almost  overcome  with 
work  and  excitement,  said,  huskily :  "  Here,  Jack,  let's  sit  down  and 
rest  awhile,  this  job  is  getting  altogether  too  big  tor  both  mind  and  body. 
We  must  think  things  over  a  little.  But,  first,  stick  your  candle  into 
the  sand  there,  and  put  that  small  box  down  by  it  and  let  us  see 
whether  these  boxes  are  empty  or  full." 

They  were  barely  able  to  turn  the  boxes  over  on  their  sides,  they 
were  so  heavy.  In  the  turning  they  detected  a  metallic  click  inside, 
which  started  their  imaginations  off  on  the  wildest  of  flights,  though 
neither  of  them  was  at  first  inclined  to  say  much. 

Before  sitting  down,  Dick  reached  for  the  casket  Jack  held,  and 


^ssmmmsmmm 


I- 


iiii  i 


i    ! 


266 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


began  to  examine  it  by  the  light  of  the  candle,  while  Jack  looked 
eagerly  on.  Small  as  it  was,  i.  vas  quite  heavy,  and  on  shaking  it, 
though  it  was  evidently  quite  full,  a  slight  tinkling  sound  was  heard. 
It  was  so  verdigrised,  it  was  plain  that  the  metal  was  either  copper 
or  brass.  There  was  a  small  key-hole,  full  of  rust,  and  the  connec- 
tion between  the  cover  and  box  was  nearly  obliterated  by  verdigris. 

While  they  were  turning  the  box  over  and  over,  the  Bernard  sat 
on  his  haunches  by  their  side  and  watched  their  operations  with  so 
much  intelligence  and  interest,  that  Jack,  forgetting  himself,  said : 
"  Look  here  Dick,  ought  Bingo  to  be  here  while  we  are  making  these 
discoveries?" 

Dick  was  so  struck  with  the  absurdity  of  the  question,  that  he 
laughed  outright,  and  this  encouraged  Bingo  to  give  a  low,  responsive 
bark,  which,  however,  he  immediately  cut  short,  as  if  conscious  that 
his  silence  would  be  more  acceptable  than  his  noise. 

"  You  are  so  excited.  Jack,  you  don't  know  what  you  are  saying. 
!  don't  know  how  much  thinking  Bingo  is  doing,  but  I  rather  think 
that  he  doesn't  know  enough  of  the  English  language  to  blow  on  us, 
however  much  disposed  he  might  be  to  do  it.  But  even  if  he  could 
speak  he'd  keep  mum  if  we  ordered  him  to.  Now,  I  am  going  to 
try  to  get  into  this  box  with  my  jack-knife." 

"  Better  take  mine,  Dick." 

-Why?" 

"  Because  mine  is  a  jack-kni^e  and  no  mistake,"  and,  laughing  at 
his  own  punning.  Jack  handed  his  knife  to  Dick,  who  had  ^  knife 
at  work  some  seconds  before  the  point  of  the  joke  penetrated  his 
head.  His  laugh  was  so  far  behind  its  cause,  that  Jack,  supposing 
that  it  was  connected  with  something  else,  asked  :  "  What  are  you 
laughing  at  ?" 

"  At  you.  of  course  ;  that  was  pretty  good  for  a  fellow  who  has 
been  scared  nearly  out  of  his  wits  ever  since  we  begai  to  turn  things 
over,  here." 

"  If  you  had  waited  a  little  longer,  you  would  have  forgotten  what 
there  was  to  laugh  about." 

Jack  was  prevented  from  further  comment  by  Dick's  rapid  prog- 


ii:.ii|.;|: 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


267 


.  looked 
aking  it, 
,s  heard, 
r  copper 
connec- 
rerdigris. 
nard  sat 
5  with  so 
elf,  said : 
;ing  these 

1,  that  he 
esponsive 
sious  that 

.re  saying. 

ther  think 

low  on  us, 

he  could 

going  to 


mghing  at 

"  knife 

itrated  his 

supposing 

|at  are  you 

who  has 
Iturn  things 

)tten  what 

rapid  prog- 


ress toward  the  discovery  of  the  conte*'*s  of  the  box.     Finding  the 
lines  of  the  cover,  and,  inserting  his  knife,  the  metal,  eaten  nearly 
through  by  the  verdigris,  yielded  quickly  to  Dick's  efforts,  and  the 
cover  was  removed  entire,  revealing  an  inner  envelop  of  some  ma- 
terial that  had  long  since   become   but  a  covering  of  black,  dusty 
mold.     When  Dick  had  carefully  skinned  this  away,  there  was  such 
a  gleam  of  reflected   lights  from  the  contents  that  he  came  near 
dropping  the  box  into  the  sand  at  his  feet.     Quick  to  recover  him- 
self, however,  and  now  fully  understanding  the  purport  of  the  reflec- 
tions, he  breathed  so  gaspingly  that  Jack,  in  alarm,  asked: 
"  What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Dick  ?     Do  you  feel  sick  ?" 
"  Matter,  Jack !     Do  you  know  what's  in  that  box  ?" 
It  was  now  Jack's  turn  to  breathe  quickly,  as  the  fact  began  to 
dawn  upon  him,     "You — you- don't  mean — no — it  can't  be  pos- 
sible— to  say  that  that  is  a  box  of  jewels  !" 

"  I  don't  know  very  much  about  gems,  but  I  know  enougn  to  know 
that  there  is  a  big  fortune  in  that  box.  And,  furthermore,  I  know 
that  this  hulk  is  so  old  that  there  is  no  living  soul  in  all  this  world 
who  has  a  better  right  to  this  than  you  and  1." 

The  truth  was  so  self-evident  and  so  stupendous,  withal,  that  Jack, 
overwhelmed,  founc  his  very  exclamations  sticking  in  his  throat  like 
fishbones,  and  so  th>5re  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  relieve  him- 
self with  a  good,  wet  cry.  And  Dick  himself  was  so  sympathetically 
affected  that  it  was  sometime  before  he  could  trust  himself  to  speak. 
Bingo,  disturbed  by  these  signs,  and  failing  to  understand  that  boys 
could  cry  for  joy,  as  well  as  for  grief,  flattened  himself  at  Dick's  feet 
and  vented  a  long,  deep  sigh,  which  ended  in  just  the  faintest  inti- 
mation of  a  sympathetic  whine. 

Dick  was  of  a  very  executive  turn  of  mind,  and  immediately  real- 
izing that  it  was  not  a  time  for  tears,  he  sharply  interrupted  the  senti- 
mental aspects  of  the  situation,  and  said  :  "  Just  hold  that  box  for  a 
moment — hold  it  very  carefully,  you  know,  for  I  have  a  suspicion 
that  these  o*her  boxes  are  full  of  money,  and  that  that  plateware  and 
stuff  is,  at  the  least,  silver.  The  boxes,  we  cannot  attend  to  just 
now,  but  we  can  settle  about  the  plate." 


I 


■»■ 


268 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Getting  together  several  of  the  pieces  and  examining  them  closely. 
by  striking  them  with  the  knife  handle  and  scraping  their  edges  with 
the  blade,  he  said:  "Jack,  those  pieces  are  not  only  handsome  in 
shape,  but  they  are  valuable  in  material — silvei  and  gold,  as  sure  as 
my  name  is  Dick.  They  would  have  corroded  and  rusted  into  noth- 
ing long  before  this  if  they  were  not.  If  I  am  correct  in  this,  there 
is  a  fortune  in  that  plate  alone,  and  the  next  serious  puzzle  is,  what 
are  we  to  do  with  all  this  stuff  ?" 

"  Do  with  it?  Why,  we  are  going  to  take  it  home  with  us,  and 
just  shovel  it  upon  father  and  mother,  and  have  them  make  tracks 
from  Black  Point  as  fast  as  they  can  go.  And  they  shall  have  a 
house  with  twenty  rooms  in  it,  and  mother  shall  have  servants  and 
have  nothing  to  do  but  to  tell  them  what  to  do.  And  father  shall 
preach,  or  not,  just  as  he  pleases;  and  if  he  does  preach,  he  can 
preach  without  having  to  take  up  any  more  penny  collections  for 
himself;  and  for  the  rest  of  us,  we'll  get  all  the  freckles  off  of  our 
faces,  and  put  on  decent  clothes,  and  stuff  ourselves  with  books, 
and " 

"  Hold  on  therewith  your  and — ands,  Jack, or  you'll  get  swamped 
worse  than  any  of  the  wrecks  that  have  been  swamped  in  the  waters 
about  this  island.  Remember  that  it's  easier  talking  than  doing 
about  this  stuff  we  have  got  on  our  hands.  The  trouble  will  be  to 
get  it  away  from  the  island,  not  to  say  anything  about  holding  on  to 
it  while  we  are  here.  But,  before  we  borrow  trouble,  let  us  finish 
our  examination ;  we  will  decide  what  is  the  first  best  thing  to  do 
after  we  have  turned  over  the  rest  of  that  sand  and  uncovered  the 
rest  of  the  secrets  of  this  old  craft.  There  is  a  little  shelf  there  on 
that  side  of  the  cabin,  and  I  will  put  this  box  of  gems  up  there  till  we 
get  through." 

The  skeleton  group  found  upon  the  floor,  proved  to  be  the  center 
of  interest ;  beyond  this,  nothing  of  any  great  consequence  was  found. 
There  were  many  old  guns  and  other  implements  of  death,  most  of 
which  had  fallen  from  racks,  traces  of  which  could  still  be  seen  on 
the  side  walls,    The  Igpkers  and  bijrths  were  all  searched,  but,  be- 


mmm 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


269 


jm  closely, 
edges  with 
.ndsome  in 

as  sure  as 
I  into  noth- 

this,  there 
zle  is,  what 

j/ith  us.  and 
aake  tracks 
hall  have  a 
.ervants  and 
father  shall 
ach,  he  can 
)llections  for 
;s  off  of  our 
,  with  books, 


sides  the  mold  of  decayed  clothing  and  bedding,  and  instruments 
connected  with  navigation,  there  was  nothing  else. 

When  the  search  was  completed,  Jack,  whose  active  mind  had  all 
the  while  been  busy  with  the  whys  and  hows  of  things,  asked  :  '  What 
do  you  make  of  it,  Dick?  What  sort  of  a  craft  was  this?  How 
came  these  things  to  be  piled  up  under  those  skeletons  ?  And  how 
did  the  vessel  come  to  be  where  she  is?" 

"  Belay  there,  Jack,  or  you'll  have  a  catechism  longer  than  any  of 
those  father  has  got  among  his  books.  But  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think 
about  this  craft.  She  was  wrecked  here  probably  a  hundred  or  a 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago ;  everything  here  tells  of  old  times. 
Since  she  came  here  the  beach  has  crept  up  to  her,  and  the  very 
dunes  have  risen  around  her.  It  is  plain  that  she  wasn't  a  merchant 
vessel ;  she  carried  too  many  arm.s  for  that.  She  couldn't  have  been 
a  man  of  war,  for  a  regular  man  of  war  wouldn't  be  carrying  such 
plunder  as  we  have  discovered.  I  don't  believe  that  she  was  a 
privateer,  either,  for  a  privateer  wouldn't  be  likely  to  pick  up  such 
things — not  unless  she  cruised  all  over  the  world.  I  believe  that  this 
craft  was  a  buccaneer  or  pirate,  such  as  used  to  rove  the  seas  and 
rob  everything  they  could  overtake.  That  book  of  father's — '  Stories 
of  the  Seas ' — that  we  used  to  read  so  much,  told  all  about  the  high- 
waymen of  the  ocean,  and  how  they  thought  nothing  of  trips  to  Cen- 
tral and  South  America,  and  to  the  East  as  well  as  to  the  West 
Indies.  The  arms  we  have  found  here  are  just  like  some  of  those 
described  in  that  book." 

"  But  that  doesn't  explain  tb'ngs  as  we  have  found  them  In  this 
cabin,"  said  jack. 

"They  explain  themseWes,  I  think,  at  least,  in  part.  When  the 
vessel  struck  here,  the  first  thing  the  officers  would  think  of  would 
be  to  save  their  plunder,  and  that  is  why  it  was  placed  together  on 
the  cabin  floor.  The  three  skeletons  may  be  the  bones  of  the  three 
principal  officers  of  the  vessel.  Something  led  to  a  quarrel.  One 
of  them  was  shot,  that  is  plain,  and  it  is  just  as  plain  that  another  was 
killed  by  a  blow  on  the  head,  and  1  believe  that  that  b'ow  was  given 
with  the  butt-end  of  that  big  pistol  after  it  had  killed  the  first  man-. 


= 


(   ! 


270 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


ijiipii* 


m 


!  !l 


:\  :  !■ 


That  pistol  was  near  the  right  hand  of  the  man  who  held  the  casket 
in  his  left  hand,  who,  because  of  some  new  and  sudden  danger  to  the 
vessel,  was  going  to  look  out  for  number  one,  just  as  the  others  were 
trying  to  do.  He  probably  was  stabbed  to  death  by  that  short  sword, 
and  so  all  three  lost  their  lives  in  the  quarrel.  It  is  very  singular 
that  they  should  all  be  in  a  heap  together,  with  the  plunder  so  near 
them.  Something  must  have  happened  suddenly,  or  they  would  not 
have  been  where  we  found  them,  nor  would  the  valuables  have  been 
left  here  if  the  other  men  on  board  had  had  a  chance  to  get  away 
with  them.     I  believe  that  not  a  man  of  the  crew  outlived  the  wreck." 

Jack  listened  to  every  word  of  this  long  explanation  as  receptively 
as  if  it  were  law  and  gospel  combined,  and  when  Dick  stopped,  he 
said  :  "  That  seems  as  straight  and  plain  as  father's  explanations  of 
Revelation — and  is  almost  as  scary.  It  is  awful  to  think  that  we 
have  pitched  Dune  Dale  right  over  a  pirate  vessel,  with  skeletons 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing  on  board.  We'll  have  to  tear  the  whole 
thing  down  again  and  build  it  somewhere  else." 

Dick  laughed  "  If  we  had  not  come  here,"  he  said,  "  and  put  up 
our  cottage,  we  should  not  have  found  these  things ;  and  if  we  don't 
stay  here  now,  how  are  we  going  to  conceal  them  till  we  decide  what 
we  are  to  do  ?  I  am  a  good  deal  more  afraid  of  the  folks  who  are 
alive  than  I  am  of  those  who  are  dead.  That  last  wreck  has  brought 
strangers  to  the  island  that  we  don't  know  anything  about.  Treas- 
ures are  not  picked  up  every  day,  and  if  they  knew  what  was  here 
there  might  be  trouble." 

"  We  have  got  a  big  rock  on  our  shoulders,"  said  Jack,  beginning 
to  see  some  of  the  difficulties  surrounding  their  position, 

"  Yes  ;  a  mighty  big  one,  and  we  have  got  to  keep  our  heads 
level.  This  is  what  we  have  got  to  do :  Make  a  canvas  belt  for 
each  one  of  us  and  sew  the  stones  in,  and  not  let  a  living  soul  know 
anything  about  them  till  we  ?-e  safe  back  to  Black  Point  again.  Do 
you  understand  ?" 

"  Just  count  on  me,  Dick." 

"  When  we  have  done  that,  before  we  open  the  other  boxes,  we'll 
call  in   Darby  and  McDonald  and  see  what's  in  them,  and  have  P. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


271 


he  casket 
iger  to  the 
;hers  were 
lort  sword, 
ry  singular 
sr  so  near 
would  not 
have  been 

0  get  away 
;he  wreck." 
receptively 
stopped,  he 
)lahations  of 
link  that  we 
th  skeletons 
ir  the  whole 

and  put  up 

1  if  we  don't 
decide  what 
ks  who  are 
has  brought 
lut.  Treas- 
lat  was  here 

[k,  beginning 

[p  our  heads 

Invas  belt  for 

ig  soul  know 

It  again.    Do 


council  as  to  the  next  thing  that's  to  be  done.  I  am  sure  that  there 
is  money  in  those  chests,  and  that  everything  we  have  found  belongs 
to  us,  slick  and  clear.  We  can  trust  those  men,  and  Moline,  too.  for 
that  matter,  but  we  will  leave  it  to  the  other  two  to  decide  about  calling 
him  in.  Now,  mum's  the  word  about  the  jewels.  It  will  be  time 
enough  to  talk  about  the  ownership  when  we  have  seen  what  is  done 
with  the  other  things,  the  plate  ana  the  chests,  which,  I  believe,  will 
be  decided  io  be  ours  without  a  doubt.  Not  even  Darby  or  McDon- 
ald are  to  know  anything  about  the  casket.  There'll  be  no  questions 
asked,  and  so  we'll  not  have  to  say  anything." 

"  I  see  through  your  ladder,  Dick.  I'll  not  say  a  word  above 
ground  till  we  get  plum  home  again." 

"  Stick  to  that,  and  we'll  get  home  with  flying  colors.  We  will 
leave  things  here,  now,  and  come  down  again  between  nine  and  ten 
o'clock  and  make  our  belts  here,  and  put  the  jewels  in  them  and 
then  button  the  ends  of  the  belts  around  our  bodies  tight  and  fast." 

"  Horrors,  Dick!  What  are  you  thinking  of?  You  don't  want  to 
come  among  these  bones  at  night,  do  you?" 

"Why  not?  Will  it  be  any  darker  here  at  night  than  it  has  been 
during  the  time  that  we  have  been  down  here  ?  Get  those  bones  out 
of  your  head  as  quick  as  you  can.  If  they  had  done  as^  little  mis- 
chief while  they  were  carrying  their  owners'  flesh  as  they  have  done 
since  they  have  been  lying  here,  the  spirits  that  went  from  them 
probably  wouldn't  be  having  suuh  an  uneasy  time  as  they  are  having 
now.  The  whole  island  is  a  bone  yard,  so  what's  the  use  of  being  afraid 
of  these,  when  we  are  running  among  skeletons  almost  everytime  we 
go  among  the  dunes  or  along  the  beaches?" 

"  You  are  getting  to  be  as  hardened  as  an  old  sinner,  Dick." 

"Vvell,  one  must  have  some  iron  in  him  in  order  to  get  through 
this  world,  and  we  need  it  now  as  much  as  we  shall  ever  need  it." 


boxes,  we'll 
I.  and  have  p. 


I'll     t 


I  IS    (j  \'A 


m 


1  '>K 


I 


KEEPING    A   SECRET 

T  WAS  easy  for  the  Bernard 
to  get  into  a  hole,  but  getting 
out  was  another  story.  The 
plank  was  narrow  and  steep, 
while  the  dog  was  broad  and 
heavy.  Dick  reduced  the  in- 
cline of  the  pathway  as  much 
as  possible,  and  then  com- 
manded the  big  intruder  to 
make  tracks  up  the  still  steep 
ascent. 

But  Bingo  sat  down  on  his 
haunches  at  the  foot  of  the 
plank,  and,  while  wagging  his 
tail  quite  willingly,  looked  at 
the  boys  appealingly.  as  if  he  were  saying  :  "  Look  here,  my  young 
masters,  you  say  that  this  was  a  pirate  craft ;  if  that  was  so,  nobody 
ever  walked  a  plank  from  her  except  to  his  death  ;  therefore,  I  pray 
you  have  me  excused." 

Failing  in  their  commanding  "  go,"  the  boys  experimented  with  a 
persuasive  "  come,"  by  going  up  in  advance  and  standing  at  the  head 


i! 


1  i 


274 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


of  the  plank  and  inviting  iiim  to  follow  their  example  ;  yet,  so  far  as 
he  was  concerned,  the  example  spoke  no  louder  than  the  precept — 
it  was  a  conspicuous  failure.  Bingo  laid  down  at  the  foot  of  the 
plank,  choosing  the  darkness  of  the  hole  rather  than  the  light  of  the 
open  air.  His  looks  said  as  plainly  as  looks  could  speak  :  "  That 
is  very  fine,  young  gentlemen  !  but  you  are  a  pair  of  up-to-snuff  lads, 
while  1  am  an  old  dog,  and  it  is  hard  to  teach  old  dogs  new  tricks. 
I  came  down  without  my  will,  which,  as  yet,  seems  to  be  above 
ground  ;  if  you  can  find  it,  and  throw  it  down,  I  may  be  able  to  get 
myself  out  of  this  box." 

The  boys  pushed  down  another  plank,  and  Dick,  going  below,  fixed 
it  so  as  to  give  a  wider  footing  for  Bingo's  convenience.  At  the  bot- 
tom Dick  said,  "  go,  you  scoundrel  ";  at  the  top  Jack  called,  "  come 
along.  Bingo."  Before,  the  road  was  narrow  and  hard  to  travel ; 
now,  it  was  broad  and  easy  to  go.  Bingo  thought  it  just  the  way  to 
get  along  with  dogs,  or  rather,  for  dogs  to  get  along  with  boys,  and, 
without  further  demur,  dashed  up  and  out.  Glad  to  be  relieved  from 
the  dampness,  darkness  and  mystery  which  had  so  long  surrounded 
him,  he  bounded  away  for  the  fleshpots  of  the  station  without  so  much 
as  even  wagging  the  tip-end  of  his  tail  by  way  of  a  parting  salute. 

When  the  boys,  having  concealed  the  entrance  to  the  cabin,  re- 
turned to  their  room,  their  appetites  were  clamorously  in  evidence. 
The  giant's  plum-duff,  which  they  found  waiting  them  in  the  big  bowl 
upon  the  mahogany  center  table,  was  like  the  manna  in  the  wilder- 
ness; they  ate.  and  were  filled.  Without  making  any  more  ado  by 
way  of  elaborating  their  dinner,  they  mounted  their  ponies  and  gal- 
loped up  the  beach  for  the  airing  they  so  much  needed.  Though 
their  minds  were  full  to  the  brim  with  their  adventures  underground, 
and  though  time  and  again  the  subject  was  on  their  tongues,  they,  in 
accordance  with  their  rule,  restrained  themselves,  and  succeeded  in 
saying — not  a  word  about  it. 

It  was  a  wholesome  lesson,  which  they  often  recalled  in  later  life. 
The  hole  in  the  dyke  is  prevented  from  becoming  larger  by  keeping 
it  persistently  plugged.  Many  a  lad  mars  his  future  by  not  bridling 
his  lips,  as  many  a  man  spoils  his  business  by  neglecting  the  same 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


275 


0  far  as 
ecept — 
)t  of  the 
it  of  the 
••  That 
[luff  lads, 
w  tricks. 
56  above 
3le  to  get 

■low,  fixed 

^t  the  bot- 

d,  '•  come 

to  travel ; 

the  way  to 

boys,  and, 

ieved  from 

surrounded 

ut  so  much 
salute, 
cabin,  re- 
evidence, 
le  big  bowl 
the  wilder- 
lore  ado  by 
;s  and  gal- 
Though 
nderground. 
les.  they,  in 
icceeded  in 

I  in  later  life, 
by  keeping 
I  not  bridling 
ig  the  same 


precaution.  The  open  mouth  Is  the  national  pitfall.  The  leaky  res- 
ervoir never  gets  full.  Gab  and  gush  make  a  hasty  mush.  A  reef 
in  the  lip  makes  a  safe  trip. 

When  tiie  boys  went  down  into  the  cabin  again,  they  went  supplied 
with  pliable  canvas  with  which  to  make  their  belts,  and  carried  sail- 
maker's  needles  and  thread  with  which  to  do  their  sewing.  Having 
been  accustomed  to  making  and  mending  the  sails  of  their  Black 
Point  boats,  they  were  at  no  loss  to  know  how  to  shape  and  accom- 
plish their  task.  The  belts  were  subdivided  into  numerous  small 
pockets  to  prevent  the  contents  from  lumping  together,  and  thus  be- 
coming uncomfortable.  When  dividing  the  gems,  the  boys  noticed 
that  some  were  large  and  others  small ;  some  cut  and  others  uncut ; 
some  set,  but  most  unset;  besides,  they  varied  greatly  in  color  and 
degrees  of  brilliancy.  When  done,  the  belts  were  buttoned  around 
their  waists  and  they  returned  to  their  room,  where,  finding  them- 
selves fatigued  and  worn,  they  threw  themselves  upon  their  bed  with- 
out removing  their  clothes,  and,  exhausted  by  the  excitement  and 
labors  of  the  day,  fell  asleep. 

But  Dick  was  uneasy,  even  in  his  sleep;  Bingo  troubled  him,  and 
he  suddenly  awoke  to  ask  himself :  "  What  if  that  dog  should  come 
here  before  we  are  up  and  scratch  that  hole  open  again  ?  It  would 
be  just  like  him.  I'll  fix  him."  And  he  got  out,  without  waking 
Jack,  and  scattered  the  contents  of  the  pepper  box  upon  the  sand 
covering  the  boards  that  concealed  the  entrance. 

The  precaution  was  wise.  Bingo,  curious  to  know  more  about  that 
hole  in  the  ground,  was  on  hand  early  in  the  morning.  He  was  as- 
tonished at  what  he  deemed  the  treachery  of  his  own  senses,  tor 
there  was  not  a  sign  of  a  hole  to  be  found.  Not  trusting  to  his 
eyes, +ie  applied  his  nose  to  the  ground,  and  was  still  more  surprised, 
for  he  had  reason  to  believe  that  the  sand  had  turned  to  pepper.  All 
thought  of  the  previous  day's  experience  was  knocked  out  of  his 
head  by  the  quantity  of  pepper  he  had  taken  into  it  through  the  open- 
ings of  his  nostrils.  The  violence  of  his  sneezings  prevented  his 
meditations  from  assuming  an  intrusive  shape,  and  also  awoke  the 
boys  to  the  rescue. 


276 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I 


ff 


li 


'  111 


■w'l 


I  '■^■' 


Mr 


■t;  ■  ■i«ii^!i;!'ii''j.-i 


When  Dick  and  Jack  went  out  to  him.  he  was  pawing  his  nose 
with  such  energy  that  they  could  not  help  laughing,  though  the  tears 
were  running  from  Bingo's  eyes  in  streams.  Yet,  true  to  their  rule 
of  reticence,  they  said  not  a  word  as  to  the  cause  of  his  early  visit, 
and  immediately  set  themselves  to  the  work  of  getting  breakfast. 
Their  lack  of  sympathy  was,  to  Bingo,  the  unkindest  cut  of  all. 
Could  he  have  done  it,  he  would  have  called  them  two  brute  boys, 
and  would  have  eaten  them  up,  and,  in  his  own  language,  written 
over  their  grave  the  record  of  his  deed,  "  Et  tu  brute." 

Owing  to  Lanier's  weakness,  Darby  and  the  surgeon  were  to  visit 
him  to  take  his  depositions  on  the  Aberdeen  and  Clancy  cases,  thus 
saving  him  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  to  the  other  end  of  the  island. 
The  boys  did  not  know,  however,  that  Mrs.  Darby  and  Clari  were 
also  expected. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  while  Dick  was  taking  a  nap,  Jack 
was  on  the  beach  shooting  sand  pipers  for  a  supper  stew. 

Dick's  sleep  ended  in  a  dream  that  threw  him  upon  the  crest  of  a 
seventh  wave,  by  which  he  was  transformed  into  a  life-boat,  and  then 
pitch-poled  end  over  end  toward  certain  doom.  But  the  seventh  wave 
turned  into  a  reality,  for  Jack  had  run  into  the  room  and  was  now 
shaking  him  with  all  his  might,  and  crying  into  his  very  ears : 

"Wake  up  I  Wake  up!  The  Cinderella  Carolina  is  coming  down 
the  beach  under  her  top-sails,  with  two  women  in  her  and  two  men 
beside  her." 

By  the  time  the  boys  had  put  their  room  in  shape  for  the  recep- 
tion of  company,  the  famous  coach  was  at  the  front  of  the  veranda, 
and  Mrs,  Darby  and  Clari,  and  the  king  and  the  surgeon  were  in- 
specting the  architecture  of  Dune  Dale  with  as  much  curiosity  as  if 
it  were  the  Cathedral  of  Cologne.  The  big  sofa  and  chairs  upbn  the 
veranda  made  too  great  a  strain  upon  the  civility  of  the  visiton,,  and 
while  the  ladies  smiled,  the  men  laughed  loudly. 

The  boys,  having  welcomed  them,  Dick  said,  while  he  was  help- 
ing the  ladies  from  their  carriage :  "  If  our  veranda  is  such  a  tickler 
to  you.  I  am  afraid  that  our  parlor  will  kill  you  outright."  '"'r- 

The  visitors  had  heard  of  the  furniture  lying  in  stacks  upon  the 


T 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


277 


beach,  but  were  not  prepared  for  the  display  in  the  boys'  room. 
Even  the  surgeon,  who,  true  to  his  national  traits,  seldom  laughed 
till  he  had  first  proved  to  himself  that  his  mirth  was  justified  by  the 
object,  waxed  so  merry  over  the  sight  that  his  boisterousness  over- 
came his  gentility  and  carried  the  others  with  it  through  the  sheer 
force  of  sympathetic  imitation. 

Since  the  first  selection  from  the  wilderness  of  furniture  on  the 
beach,  the  boys  had  added  other  pieces  as  the  fancy  took  them,  so 
that  there  was  scarcely  room  to  move  about  without  stubbing  the  toe 
against  some  protruding  foot  of  shipwrecked  elegance.  What  most 
took  the  queen's  fancy,  were  two  small  baby  chairs  nailed  one  above 
the  other  to  one  of  the  uprights  of  the  wall.  From  the  room,  they 
went  to  the  beach,  where  selections  were  made  for  additions  to  the 
palace  furniture.  And,  as  the  visitors  were  engaged  to  take  tea  on 
the  Maskomet,  and  were  going  directly  on,  Dick,  leaving  the  queen 
and  the  princess  to  Jack's  civilities,  called  the  king  and  the  surgeon 
aside,  and  said : 

"  It  will  be  necessary  for  you  two  to  spend  the  night  here  at  Dune 
Dale.  We  are  in  the  possession  of  an  important  secret  which  we 
must  share  with  you.  If  you  think  it  best,  you  may  bring  Captain 
Moline  with  you.  Don't  forget  that  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to 
stay  all  night." 

The  two  men  were  puzzled  by  Dick's  manner,  as  well  as  by  the 
nature  of  his  request,  but,  thinking  that,  perhaps,  he  and  Jack  had 
some  new  light  to  shed  upon  the  Clancy  tragedy,  they  said  they  would 
come  and  bring  Moline  with  them. 

"  You  must  manage  to  come,"  Dick  added,  "  without  letting  any- 
one at  the  station  or  on  board  the  Maskomet — not  even  Mrs.  Darby 
herself — know  anything  about  being  called  here  to  consider  a  secret 
affair.     We  don't  want  any  outside  talk  about  it." 

"  Why,  lads,"  said  Darby,  laughing,  "  this  looks  as  if  you  two  boys 
were  plotting  to  annex  Sable  Island  to  the  United  States  ;  but  we'll 
be  on  hand,  and  will  get  away  by  saying  that  we  are  going  to  have  a 
night's  frolic  with  you  boys." 

The  three  men  arrived  at  the  cottage  a  little  after  nine  o'clock, 


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278 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


and  were  immediately  conducted  to  the  annex*  where  the  covering 
was  removed  from  the  entrance  to  the  buried  wreck.  Lighting 
candles,  the  boys  disappeared  below,  and  directed  their  visitors  to 
follow  as  quickly  as  they  could  and  to  close  the  entrance  with  the 
planks  before  they  left  the  surface. 

The  men,  thoroughly  astonished,  and  withal  somewhat  overawed 
by  the  pit  below,  at  first  hesitated  to  descend. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  hurt  you,"  said  Jack,  patronizingly. 

When  they  reached  the  bottom  they  were  almost  speechless.  The 
old  woodwork,  the  stack  of  ancient  arms,  the  pile  of  bones,  the  heap 
of  plate,  the  iron  chests,  the  disturbed  sand,  the  peculiar  manner  of 
the  boys,  the  musty  atmosphere  and  the  gloomy  dimness  formed  a 
scene  that  was  so  strikingly  mysterious  it  would  have  been  oppres- 
sive but  for  another  arrival  that  served  to  divert  their  attention. 

Unknown  to  them,  the  Bernard  had  followed  them  at  a  distance, 
and  when  they  had  gotten  fairly  into  the  cavity,  he  pulled  the  cover- 
ing aside  and  began  to  work  his  way  slowly  down  the  plank  after 
them,  exercising  the  wisdom  gained  by  his  former  experience.  The 
surgeon,  whose  nerves  were  already  at  their  highest  tension,  seeing 
the  glare  of  the  brute's  eyes,  without  being  able  to  distinguish  his 
form,  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm,  and  this,  too,  in  spite  of  the  contempt 
he  was  so  constantly  pouring  upon  superstition. 

"  My  goodness!"  exclaimed  Jack,  irritably,  on  seeing  what  Bingo 
was  doing,  "  there  Is  that  confounded  dog !  he  tumbled  down  here 
yesterday,  but  Is  coming  down  now  as  if  he  were  one  of  us."  Giv- 
ing Bingo  a  violent  push,  which  rolled  him  from  the  plank  to  the 
bottom,  Jack  went  up  and  closed  the  opening,  and  on  returning,  said 
to  the  surgeon,  with  a  laugh  :  "  You  thought  he  was  a  real  ghost, 
didn't  you?" 

But  the  surgeon's  momentary  terror  having  abated,  his  Intelligence 
again  asserted  Itself,  and  he  said  :  "  There  Is  an  old  tradition,  backed 
up  by  a  French  account  of  the  buccaneers,  that  about  one  hundred 
and  forty  years  ago,  before  there  was  anybody  on  this  Island  to  look 
after  wrecked  people,  a  buccaneer  rover  was  wrecked  on  Sable  Island 
with  considerable  treasure  on  board.     It  Is  said  tl. at  only  two  of  the 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


279 


loverlng 
-ighting 
litors  to 
with  the 

iverawed 


ss.  The 
the  heap 
(lanner  of 
formed  a 
n  oppres- 
sion. 

distance, 
the  cover- 
lank  after 
ice.  The 
on,  seeing 
nguish  his 

contempt 

rhat  Bingo 

down  here 

IS."     Glv- 

anic  to  the 

rning,  said 

real  ghost. 


crew  reached  the  shore  alive,  and  that  by  accident  they  ware  dis- 
covered in  a  half-dead  condition  and  taken  to  the  mainland  by  the 
fisherman  who  found  them.  It  is  more  than  likely  that  we  are  now 
in  the  cabin  of  that  buccaneer." 

Dick  then  gave  his  account  of  the  discovery  of  the  vessel,  and  of 
their  own  conjectures,  formed  after  making  a  thorough  examination 
of  everything  they  could  find,  dwelling  especially  upon  the  position  of 
the  bones,  weapons,  plate  and  chests. 

"  We,"  he  continued.  "  claim  all  the  valuables  we  have  found  as 
our  own  by  right  of  our  discovery,  and  ask  you  to  assist  us  by  testify- 
ing to  our  discovery  and  by  arranging  for  the  transportation  of  them 
to  the  mainland  when  an  opportunity  comes  for  so  doing. 

"  I  think  that  those  chests  are  full  of  money,  and  that  the  plate  we 
have  piled  up  there  will  be  found  to  be  of  both  silver  and  gold." 

Having,  in  these  days,  every  instance  of  dishonesty  paraded  before 
our  eyes  in  the  most  glaring  colors,  we  are  apt  to  think  that  honesty 
is  forgotten  the  moment  opportunity  appears.  We  say  that  Roe  is 
honest  just  so  long  as  Doe  compels  him  to  be,  but  the  moment  Roe 
gets  a  good  chance  to  rob  Doe  without  being  discovered,  his  honesty 
takes  wings"  and  flies  away.  Yet,  there  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
men,  some  of  whom  we  meet  every  day.  who  would  die  before  they 
would  sacrifice  their  integrity,  or  knowingly  retain  a  dollar  that  didn't 
belong  to  them. 

Happily,  for  Dick  and  Jack,  the  men  with  whom  they  were  now 
dealing  possessed  that  kind  of  honesty  which  is  above  suspicion — the 
kind  of  honesty  that  shines  the  brightest  in  the  highest  furnace  blasts 
of  temptation. 

In  a  matter  of  fact  way,  Darby  said:     "  Look  here,  lads:  if  we 
had  found  this  stuff  it  would  have  been  ours — whatever  the  value 
may  be.     You  have  found  it  and  it  is  yours,  and  we  are  bound  to^ 
help  you  all  we  can  to  secure  it  to  you  and  to  help  you  to  get  it  from 
the  island. 

"  We  will  pay  you  for  all  your  trouble,  and  more  besides "  but 

Dick  was  abruptly  interrupted  by  Darby. 

"Tut,  tut!  lad,"  he  exclaimea,  "that  sounds  as  if  you  were  at- 


/ 


280 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


fe- 


tempting  to  bribe  the  king  and  his  advisors.  Have  a  care,  or  you'll 
get  strung  up  for  high  treason."  And.  while  Dick  was  turning  red 
in  the  face  at  the  jocular,  yet  earnest  rebuke,  Darby,  continuing, 
said  :  ••  Let  us  see  what  there  is  here,  and  whether  or  no  it  is  worth 
talking  about  one  way  or  the  other. 

*'  These  chests  are  full,  and,  doubtless,  with  money,  or  valuables 
of  some  other  kind,"  he  said,  when  he  and  Moline  and  the  surgeon 
had  tested  their  weight.  "  There  is  no  sand  inside,  the  chests  are 
too  tight  and  solid  for  that." 

"  They  should  be  boxed  up  just  as  they  stand,"  said  the  surgeon. 
And  Darby  and  Moline  agreed  that  this  was  the  best  course  that 
could  be  followed. 

"  *  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  'tis  folly  to  be  wise' — till  you  get 
safely  on  the  mainland,"  quoted  the  surgeon,  suggestively. 

The  examination  of  the  plat<;,  confirmed  Dick's  estimate  of  its 
value — more  than  confirmed  it,  for  the  surgeon  said  :  "  So  far  as  I  can 
make  out,  this  plate  is  very  old,  massive,  South  American  Spanish 
plate,  and,  to  all  appearance,  there  is  more  gold  than  silver  among  it. 
Those  buccaneers  were  great  haters  of  the  Spaniards,  you  know,  and 
were  never  happier  than  when  robbing  Central  and  South  American 
Spaniards.  From  their  haunts  in  Jamaica  and  Trinidad,  they  went 
south  oftener  than  they  came  north  ;  this  fellow  must  have  been  on  the 
track  of  some  treasure  ship,  or  he  never  would  have  gotten  here.  Pos- 
sibly he  Intended  to  bury  his  treasures  here,  though  that  is  not  likely." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  Moline  ;  "  that  plate  will  make  a  heavy  box 
by  Itself,  and  the  sooner  we  box  it  up  the  better.  The  boys  have  most 
of  the  station  tools  here — had  them  to  build  their  cottage." 

"  And  plenty  of  nails  and  spikes  left  over,"  interrupted  Jack. 

"  Then  let's  get  to  work  and  do  the  boxing  before  we  leave  the 
0  place,"  said  Darby. 

The  boys  pushed  down  planks  from  above ,  produced  all  the  neces- 
sary tools,  nails  and  spikes,  so  that  in  less  than  three  hours  the  chests 
and  plate  were  in  stout  boxes,  mdde  from  plank,  securely  spiked  in 
every  direction.  Not  content  with  this,  the  surgeon  suggested  that 
some  of  the  old  arms  and  implements  should  be  boxed  by  themselves. 


M    -6. 


3('=j2:^i79#''T-T?:'."''^"^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


2di 


,  or  you'U 

irning  red 

:ontlnulng, 

It  is  worth 

,r  valuables 
:he  surgeon 
i  chests  are 

he  surgeon, 
course  that 

-till  you  get 

sly- 

timate  of  Us 

30  far  as  I  can 
rlcan  Spanish 
ver  among  it. 
/ou  know,  and 
uth  American 
lad,  they  went 
ve  been  on  the 
en  here.   Pos- 
is  not  likely." 
e  a  heavy  box 
,oys  have  most 
tage." 
ed  Jack, 
v/e  leave  the 

all  the  neces- 
lours  the  chests 
curely  spiked  in 
suggested  that 
by  themselves. 


as  specimens  of  ancient  fighting  implements,  that  would  not  only  help 
to  settle  the  character  of  the  vessel,  but  be  valuable  as  relics. 

"  But  let  us  settle  how  this  secret  is  to  be  kept  from  the  knowl- 
edge of  anybody  else  on  the  island  till  the  time  comes  for  the  open 
handling  of  it,"  said  the  practical  Darby.  "There  are  strange  men 
here,  you  know — the  crew  of  the  Aberdeen — and  we  don't  want  any 
of  them  to  know  anything  about  this ;  indeed,  not  a  living  soul  should 
know  it  but  ourselves." 

"  Agree  that  nothing  shall  be  said  about  it  except  when  we  are  all 
together  in  this  room,"  said  Dick;  "  that  is  what  Jack  and  I  settled 
upon  as  our  rule." 

"That  covers  the  whole  case,"  assented  Darby,  "  and  with  the 
entrance  covered  with  sand,  as  at  the  first,  the  whole  thing  will  be 
as  good  as  blotted  out  until  it  becomes  necessary  to  take  action  for 
the  removal  to  the  tender. 

"  And  now  let  us  see  if  any  of  these  old  weapons  are  worth  boxing, 
as  the  surgeon  suggests,"  Darby  continued. 

"  Better  examine  the  side  walls  and  doors  of  the  room  first,"  the 
surgeon  remarked,  and  his  hint  was  immediately  a:ted  upon. 

There  were  two  doors,  one  aft  and  one  at  the  side.  On  cutting 
into  the  end  door  with  the  axe,  it  gave  way  so  suddenly  and  let  in 
such  a  mass  of  sand  it  was  deemed  prudent  not  to  make  any  more 
experiments  in  that  line.  There  was  a  small  locker-like  door  which 
had  escaped  the  boys*  notice,  and  as  it  was  easily  opened  with  the 
edge  of  the  axe  a  candle  was  held  up  to  expose  Its  contents.  It 
proved  to  be  a  small  wine  closet,  containing  two  or  three  dozen 
bottles  set  in  sockets  to  prevent  them  from  being  rolled  about  by  the 
action  of  the  waves  upon  the  vessel  while  at  sea.  Most  of  them 
were  full,  and  the  surgeon  said  that,  from  long  keeping,  they  were 
doubtless  very  valuable,  and  he  also  suggested  that  they  should  be 
boxed  up  to  go  with  the  rest.  But  the  boys  said  they  did  not  wish 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  wine,  new  or  old ;  the  best  thing  that 
could  be  done  with  It  was  to  break  the  bottles  and  spill  their  contents  in 
the  sand. 

"  Then  we  will  let  them  stand  there,  and  when  the  other  things 


282 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


are  removed,  we  will  turn  them  over  to  the  medicine  chest  of  the 
island,"  said  the  surgeon. 

About  a  score  of  the  old  weapons,  including  the  dagger,  pistols 
and  short  swords,  were  gathered  and  boxed  by  themselves,  and  with 
this  the  work  was  completed,  so  far  as  things  below  were  concerned. 

When  about  to  ascend,  Jack  said :  "  We  must  have  another  plank 
up  before  we  can  induce  Bingo  to  go  up." 

*'  Oh,  he'll  follow  our  example  fast  enough,"  Moline  answered. 

"  He  didn't  follow  ours,"  laughed  Dick. 

"  That  was  because  you  didn't  have  the  authority  to  back  it  up  ; 
that's  the  way  with  some  people,  you  know ;  the  crack  of  a  whip 
makes  them  as  dutiful  as  saints.     Here.  Bingo,  get  out  of  this." 

And  the  Bernard  took  the  plank  and  went  up  with  the  steadiness 
of  a  rope-walker,  and  with  as  much  ease  as  though  he  had  only  two 
legs  to  be  responsible  for,  instead  of  four. 

The  gray  of  the  morning  was  beginning  to  show  in  the  east  when 
the  work  of  concealing  the  entrance  was  completed. 

Jack,  drawing  a  long  sigh,  said  :  "  Well,  Dick,  when  we  started  from 
home  on  that  halibut  hunt,  we  didn't  expect  to  catch  such  a  big " 

Dick  suddenly  interrupted  him  with  the  question  :  "  Did  you  ever 
see  a  grasshopper  make  a  handspring  ?" 

•*  What  has  that  to  do  with  this  ?" 

*'  No  more  than  we  have,  now  that  we  are  above  ground.  Grass- 
hopper is  to  be  the  word  when  we  begin  to  get  loose  about  the  mouth." 

The  men  laughed,  and  the  surgeon  said :  "  We  men  will  copy 
your  example  and  '  grasshopper '  one  another  if  we  find  oursel/es 
talking  when  we  should  keep  our  secret." 

"  Grasshopper '."exclaimed  the  king,  warningly. 

'■'  Sesame  opened  the  cave  for  Ali  Baba.  but  Grasshopper  beats  it 
out  of  sight  for  shutting  a  secret  in,"  said  the  surgeon. 

Let  the  reader  try  it  a  few  times  when  his  mouth  is  in  danger  of 
getting  the  better  of  his  discretion. 


SOME  FRESH    SURPRISES 

HE  giant,  thinking  that  the  boys' 
supplies  might  not  be  adequate 
for  their  guests'  appetites,  filled 
a  large  basket  with  the  best  he 
could  produce  from  his  own  larder 
and  advanced  upon  Dune  Dale 
with  the  intention  of  being  in  time 
to  serve  as  butler  while  Dick  and 
Jack  were  eating  with  the  king 
and  his  cabinet  ministers. 

When  he  entered  the  cottage, 
the  king  and  the  surgeon,  with 
their  clothes  on,  were  sound 
asleep  upon  the  outside  of  the 
big  bed,  while  stretched  about  in 
various  positions  on  quilts  laid 
upon  the  floor,  lay  Moline  and  the  boys,  slumbrously  dead  to  all  con- 

283 


^?ir*^'J<iiVc 


wmaam 


wmmt 


284 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


sciousness  of  the  world  In  general  and  to  the  giant's  presence  In 
particular. 

There  was  so  little  dignity  in  the  tableau,  and  such  a  look  of  ex- 
treme dissipation  over  all,  that  Jumps,  surprised,  and  horrified,  as 
well,  exclaimed  :     **  Her  vas  all  pe  trunk  as  vools!" 

"  What  Is  that  you  say?"  asked  the  surgeon,  who,  slowly  aroused 
by  the  giant's  heavy  tread  upon  the  floor,  had  become  sufficiently 
awake  to  understand  what  was  said. 

*•  Ach  I  I  vas  say  dot  If  she  vas  git  up  pooty  qvick,  right  ervay, 
dot  wittles  vas  mit  me  dot  she  vas  hafe  vor  prekvast."  And  the 
giant  was  really  startled  into  making  a  tangent  from  the  circle  of 
truth  by  dwelling  upon  his  intentions  rather  than  upon  his  words. 

"  You  said  we  were  all  drunk."  By  this  time  the  others  had  risen 
to  a  half-erect  posture,  and  the  giant,  fearing  the  witnesses  would 
multiply  against  him,  was  In  sad  perplexity. 

"Grasshopper!"  blurted  Jack,  who,  in  a  semi-dazed  state,  was 
seized  with  a  sudden  fear  that  someone  might  be  indiscreet  In  ven- 
turing upon  explanations. 

"Grasshopper!"  repeated  the  other  four,  now  beginning  to  laugh 
Immoderately. 

"  Grasshobber  ?  Vat  vor  you  calls  me  dot?  Ven  I  vas  say 'dot 
vas  dot  prekvast  she  vas  hafe  right  ervay,  und  she  vas  say  I  vas 
trunk." 

"  Drunk?"  said  Dick,  laughing,  "  we  couldn't  say  that,  when  we 
know  that  there  isn't  enough  liquor  on  the  island  to — to — oh,  I  for- 
got about " 

"  Grasshopper!"  exclaimed  all  the  rest,  with  a  sharp  inflection  of 
warning. 

"  Grasshobber !  Grr-asshobBer !  If  she  vas  say  dot  some  more  I 
vas  say  she  vas  trunk  some  more,  doo,  und  dot  she  vasn't  git  sober 
right  ervay,  yet  erwhile."  And  Jumps,  unable  to  see  the  sense"  of 
the  grasshopper,  and,  concluding  that  they  were  assaulting  his  dig- 
nity, was  becoming  more  and  more  belligerent. 

"  It  is  only  a  little  fun,  Jumps,"  said  the  surgeon,  placatingly. 
And,  as  it  was  dangerous  to  undertake  any  explanation  of  their  dis- 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


285 


nee  In 

of  ex- 
led,  as 

iroused 
iciently 

t  ervay, 
ind  the 
ircle  of 
rds. 

ad  risen 
s  would 

ate,  was 
;  In  ven- 

to  laugh 

say 'dot 
ly  I  vas 

/hen  we 
l»h.  I  for- 

iction  of 

more  I 

jit  sober 

[sense*  of 

his  dlg- 

Icatlngly. 
Iheir  dis- 


orderly appearance,  he  sought  to  divert  attention  from  the  whole 
affair  by  adding:  "  It  Is  just  splendid  In  you  to  take  the  trouble  to 
come  all  the  way  up  here  to  help  us  along  with  our  breakfast,  and 
that,  too,  when  we  are  so  hungry." 

"  Veil.  If  her  vas  hongry,  und  ish  standtup  as  straight  as- she  vas," 
— all  had  risen — **  her  vasn't  trunk  nodt  a  pit,  don't  it?"  But,  all 
the  while  they  were  eating  breakfast.  Jumps  ever  and  anon  shook  his 
head  and  wondered  what  should  have  given  them  such  a  passion  for 
grasshoppers. 

With  the  departure  of  the  Darbys  and  the  surgeon  to  their  own 
end  of  the  Island,  the  boys  very  soon  discovered  that,  In  one  sense, 
possession  of  property  is  oppression  of  mind.  Their  secret  v/eighed 
upon  them,  after  the  first  novelty  of  it  had  passed  away,  and  they  be- 
gan to  consider  the  responsibility  of  their  position.  They  rode,  and 
hunted,  and  sought  to  amuse  themselves  as  heretofore,  yet  were  so 
constantly  pursued  by  care,  that  they  began  to  feel  as  though  they 
had  leaped  to  maturity  and  its  experiences  at  a  single  bound.  The 
giant  was  the  first  to  notice  the  change,  and  to  mourn  the  absence 
of  the  boyish  llghtheartedness  which  had  been  such  a  boon  to  his 
own  dismal  life  and  surroundings.  The  grasshopper  was  a  burden  to 
him  In  a  sense  that  even  Solomon,  In  all  the  glory  of  his  mind  and 
monarchy,  could  never  have  thought  of  when  he  wrote,  "  and  the 
grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden." 

The  scene  that  the  giant  witnessed  at  Dune  Dale  was  not  easily 
effaced  from  his  mind,  and  his  perplexity  concerning  It  had  been 
gravely  deepened  by  the  fact  that  more  than  once,  when  the  boys 
were  li.  his  company,  and  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  recovering 
their  spirits  and  playfulness,  by  Indulging  In  large  and  Imaginative 
views  and  plans  for  the  future,  one  or  the  other  would  cause  a  mys- 
terious lapse  Into  self-constraint  and  quietness,  by  pronouncing  the 
word,  V  grasshopper,"  as  though  their  very  lives  depended  upon  keep- 
ing that  long-legged,  long-leaping,  unmusical,  goggle-eyed,  green- 
hued  and  generally  unwelcome  and  disreputable  insect  uppermost  in 
their  minds. 

One  day,  when  Dick  had  snapped  the  word  at  Jack  In  a  more  than 


^  % 


h   ■ 


r 


286 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


ordinarily  energetic  manner,  Jumps  piteously  said:  *•  Ach !  dot 
grasshobber!  He  vas  dake  dose  poys  ervay  vrom  Jumps  efery  dime 
so  pooty  qvick,  mein  heart  vas  go  novheres  mit  'em  all  dot  dime." 

The  pathetic  manner  of  the  giant  touched  Dick  more  than  his 
words,  and  he  verged  so  dangerously  near  upon  a  compromising  con- 
fidence with  the  dear,  old,  trusty  friend,  that  Jack  fairly  shouted : 
"  Grasshopper,  Dick,  or  you're  lost!" 

"Grasshobber!"  repeated  the  giant,  angrily,  and  then  immedi- 
ately relaxing  and  driving  the  frown  from  his  big  forehead  by  a  broad 
smile,  he  added :  "  I  vas  say  dot  myselluf  efery  dime  ven  I  vas 
madt,  und  efesy  dime  I  vas  gladt,  pesides." 

And  he  got  in  the  way  of  repeating  it  in  such  most  unheard  of 
connections,  that  the  boys  had  no  end  of  fun  over  it,  and  this  proved 
such  a  relief  to  him,  that  his  own  good  spirits  flapped  wings  and 
crowed  with  theirs. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  underground  compact  to  hinder  the  boys 
from  thinking  as  much  as  they  pleased  of  the  rosy  future  that  seemed 
to  be  dawning  upon  them,  and  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that  the 
"  rooster,"  that  seems  to  be  as  inseparable  from  each  one  of  us  as 
it  is  from  every  country  home,  did  considerable  strutting  in  the  back- 
yard of  Dick  and  Jack's  thoughts.  Jack  had  some  very  lofty  fits, 
and,  having  in  mind  pictures  he  had  seen  of  Napoleon's  favorite  at- 
titude, he  would  occasionally  be  found  standing  alone  on  the  veranda, 
or  the  beach,  or  among  the  dunes,  with  one  leg  in  advance  of  the 
other,  his  left  hand  thrown  behind  him  and  his  right  thrust  majestic- 
ally Into  the  bosom  of  his  red  flannel  shirt,  with  his  chin  resting  upon 
his  chest — In  fine — with  an  entire  bearing  that  would  have  done  honor 
to  the  celebrated  Emperor  himself. 

Coming  into  the  room  one  day  from  the  veranda,  where,  for  some 
time,  he  had  been  standing  In  his  favorite  Napoleonic  style,  he  said 
to  Dick,  as  soberly  as  if  on  the  eve  of  a  great  campaign.:  "  Dick,  1 
have  been  thinking  that  It  wouldn't  be  a  bad  Idea  tor  us  to  come  back 
here,  when  we  are  men,  and  marry  the  king's  daughters.  You  may 
have  Alice,  and  I  could  take  Belva.  I  rather  guess  that  they  would 
be  glad  to  get  us,  now  that " 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


287 


"  Grasshopper  !"  Dick  shouted. 

"  Well,  anyway,  what  do  you  think  of  those  girls  for  wives?"  Jack 
persisted,  In  spite  of  the  interruption. 

"  Gracious,  Jack !  Marry  those  freckled-faced,  egg-shaped,  pudgy 
creatures  ?  V/hat  can  you  be  thinking  of  ?  When  I  get  married,  I 
am  going  to  hunt  up  some  city  girl,  who  has  been  brought  up  in  some 
style.  We  don't  want  to  throw  ourselves  away,  now  that  we 
are " 

••  Grasshopper!"  warned  Jack,  in  his  turn,  with  a  most  provoking 
laugh ;  and  then  he  continued :  "  No  city  girl  for  me,  if  you  please. 
To  be  sure  I  have  seen  but  few  of  them,  yet  those  I  have  seen  have 
such  confounded  good  opinions  of  themselves  they  can  have  only  bad 
ones  left  for  other  people  ;  and  they  think  so  much  of  their  dresses 
that  they  haven't  room  enough  left  to  think  of  anything  else.  But  It 
is  as  you  say,  the  Darby  girls  are  freckled  and  pudgy,  and  perhaps  it 
would  be  better  for  us  not  to  marry  them  ;  besides  it  would  be  lots 
of  trouble  for  us  to  get  on  and  off  this  Island  every  time  we  wanted 
to  see  them." 

"Yes,"  replied  Dick,  rather  sarcastically,  '*  if  they  were  ever  so 
handsome,  the  tree  they  are  in  would  make  it  pretty  hard  picking  to 
get  at  them.  But  don't  you  think  we  are  talking  pretty  green  for 
even  such  a  pair  of  youngsters  as  we  are  ?" 

••  We  have  got  to  talk  about  such  things  some  time  or  other,  and 
we  might  as  well  begin  now  as  at  any  other  time.  One  good  thing 
has  come  of  It  anyway ;  we  have  settled  about  the  Darby  girls — and 
that  ought  to  have  been  done  before  we  left  the  Island." 

"  Speaking  of  leaving  the  island.  Jack,  It  seems  to  me  as  If 
August  would  never  come  ;  the  days  go  by  like  snails.  And  yet, 
when  the  time  comes  for  us  to  leave,  it  will  be  hard  to  go,  thinking 
that  we  can  never  see  Topsy  nor  Turvy,  nor  Bingo,  nor  dear  old 
Jumps — nor  any  of  the  rest  of  them  any  more,"  and  Dick  gave  a 
sigh  that  was  an  unpleasant  foretaste  of  parting  scenes,  while  Jack 
was  so  affected  by  the  anticipation  that  he  got  up  and  paced  the  floor 
in  silence. 

"  Captain  Mollne  has  been  like  a  father  to  us,  and  the  giant  more 


■  y<iiniiii,|ii|i»  iTm'"*?-^ 


288 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


I'  >. 


•n 


like  a  mother  than  like  anything  else,"  Dick  continued ;  "  and  all 
the  rest  have  done  everything  they  could  to  make  our  stay  as  pleas- 
ant as  possible.  Next  week  we  must  make  one  more  visit  to  the 
palace  to  see  the  king  and  the  surgeon,  and  Mrs.  Darby — and  the 
girls,  for  If  they  are  freckle-faced  and  dumpy,  they  are  as  bright  and 
as  sweet  as  violets." 

"  What  will  the  girls  do  if  we  don't  marry  them  ?"  said  Jack, 
-blindly,  and  with  a  swelling  heart,  that  just  at  that  moment  was  ready 
to  promise  and  to  undertake  anything. 

"There'd  be  one  of  them  left  in  spite  of  everything."  Dick  re- 
plied, beginning  to  smile  ;  "  and,  upon  the  whole,  I  think  that  the 
others  would  better  be  left  to  keep  her  and  het  mother  company." 

"Yes;  I  guess  that's  so,"  assented  Jack,  dropping  anchor  again 
upon  the  bottom  of  Dick's  older  thoughts  and  judgment. 

Almost  the  first  thing  said  to  the  boys,  when  they  made  their  last 
visit  to  the  palace,  was :  •'  Well,  lads,  have  you  had  many  grasshop- 
pers down  your  way?" 

••  Lots  and  lots  of  them,"  Dick  answered,  "and  they  have  done 
so  well  by  us  that  we  are  going  to  take  some  of  the  breed  away  with 
"us  to  the  mainland  when  we  go.     They  will  be  a  good  thing  to  have 
around  occasionally.     Have  you  had  many  up  here  ?" 

"  A  few  dozen,"  said  the  surgeon,  "  and  they  have  attended  so 
strictly  to  business  that  we  are  beginning  to  think  well  of  the  whole 
tribe." 

Darby  was  a  magistrate,  and  the  surgeon  was  a  notary,  and  in 
their  official  capacities  they  had  made  out  papers  certifying  to  the 
circumstances  attending  the  discovery  made  by  the  boys,  but  so  dis- 
creetly had  they  managed  it.  that,  although  they  had  sent  a  private 
messenger  to  Mollne  for  his  signature,  the  messenger  knew  nothing 
of  what  was  going  on.  And  so  well  had  Moline  kept  his  part  of  the 
secret  compact  that  the  boys  themselves  were  not  aware  of  his 
signature  until  the  documents  were  placed  in  their  hands  complete 
in  every  requirement. 

"  Over  this  part  of  the  business,"  said  the  king,  as  he  placed  the 
papt?rs  in  Dick's  hands,  "  the  grasshopper  has  no  jurisdiction ;  the 


■HHHi 


m 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


289 


laced  the 
uon ;  the 


king  alone  is  supreme.  When  it  is  time  for  the  tender  to  appear, 
the  surgeon  will  take  up  his  quarters  with  you  as  my  representative, 
and  will  stay  by  you  till  affairs  are  finished  off,  you  know.  My  busi- 
ness will  keep  me  at  this  end  of  the  island,  or  I  should  be  on  hand 
also.  And,  now,  having  put  you  in  shape  as  regards  these  necessary 
things,  we  will  again  abdicate  in  favor  of  the  grasshopper,  lest  my 
wife  and  the  girls  should  be  troubled  unnecessarily." 

Ridiculous  as  it  may  appear,  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  while 
the  boys  were  making  their  farewell  visit  at  the  palace  and  roaming 
among  the  dunes  with  the  girls,  Jack  had  a  return  of  the  matrimonial 
quandary,  but  after  a  most  critical  re-examination  of  girl-possibilities, 
he  sagely  concluded  that  the  king's  daughters  were  not  up  to  the 
stands  icquired  by  the  circumstances  To  appease  his  conscience, 
however,  he  patronized  them  with  a  very  generous  respect,  and  other- 
wise acted,  as  Paul  says,  ••  after  the  manner  of  men." 

What  the  girls  thought  all  the  while  did  not  appear,  but,  judging 
from  their  conduct,  one  might  safely  say.  that  they  had  no  more 
thoughts  about  matrimony  than  a  chicken  has  about  laying  eggs. 
Nevertheless,  they  were  free  to  say,  that,  seeing  that  Dick  and  Jack 
were  the  c  nly  boys  en  the  island,  they  should  be  very  lonely  when 
they  were  gone. 

When  August,  the  long  looked-tor  month,  came,  the  boys  were 
wrought  up  to  a  painful  state  of  watchfulness  and  anxiety.  Every 
hour  of  daylight  was  spent  in  observing  the  signs  of  the  weather,  the 
force  of  the  surf,  the  direction  of  the  wind,  the  state  of  the  sky,  and 
in^  watching  for  the  first  appearance  of  smoke  on  the  horizon.  The 
finer  the  weather,  the  more  extreme  was  their  anxiety. 

"  Bang — bourn — boum — oum — om — m — I" 

It  was  the  sound  of  the  signal  gun  announcing  the  sighting  of  the 
steam-tender  in  the  offing. 

•*  Thank  God !"  exclaimed  Dick,  and  each  hugged  the  other  as  if 
both  were  turned  to  bears. 

The  preceding  two  days  had  bean  so  windless,  that  the  sea  was  al- 
most as  flat  as  a  table,  and  only  the  faintest  ripples  rolled  alon^  thQ 


(1 


'Hi 


290 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


beach.  When  the  boys  went  to  bed,  they  said  to  each  other :  "  She 
will  surely  be  here  to-morrow!" 

They  were  not  yet  out  of  bed,  when  the  signal  gun,  announcing 
the  coming  of  the  steamer,  was  fired  at  the  station,  and  the  entranc- 
ing reverberations  prolonged  themselves  among  the  dunes. 

Everybody  was  now  in  a  turmoil  of  haste  and  preparation.  The 
surgeon  came  running  from  the  Maskomet,  closely  followed  by  Cap- 
tain Moline  from  the  station. 

"  Your  deliverance  has  come  !"  shouted  the  surgeon,  as  soon  as 
he  got  in  sight. 

"  Look  alive,  there,  boys,"  said  Moline.  "  The  grasshopper  has 
skipped,  and  my  men  will  be  here  at  the  beach  with  the  big  life-boat 
and  tackle  for  the  raising  of  the  stuff  you've  got  in  your  cellar.  They 
thought  I  had  gone  out  of  my  mind  when  I  told  them  that  you  had 
some  big,  heavy  packages  there  that  must  go  on  board  the  steamer 
at  the  first  outgo  of  the  boats.  Lively  is  the  word  now,  for  a  few 
hours  may  upset  the  sea  again  and  make  it  as  fretful  and  as  unrea- 
sonable as  ever." 

When  the  men  went  down  into  the  cabin  of  the  old  wreck,  they 
were  dumbfounded,  but  as  authority  was  paramount  to  curiosity  now, 
they  had  little  time  to  ask  questions  or  to  form  opinions.  Moline 
kept  them  on  the  jump  till  the  boxes  were  safely  in  the  life-boat. 

"  All  aboard,  there  !"  and  "  Pull  away,  there  !"  came  in  swift  suc- 
cession from  the  alert  Moline. 

The  boys,  with  the  surgeon,  were  in  the  stern  sheets  as  the  bow 
of  the  boat  headed  for  the  tender,  now  in  the  offing  signalling  orders 
to  the  island  people.  Dick  and  Jack  were  sobbing  uncontrollably, 
with  their  dimmed  eyes  turned  to  a  solitary  figure  on  the  beach. 

Poor  Jumps!  His  giant  form  loomed  more  largely  than  ever  as 
it  stood  in  solitary  relief  against  the  white  of  the  upper  beach.  Every 
stroke  of  the  oars  that  pulled  the  boys  away  pulled  at  his  great  heart 
and  wrenched  it  with  agony.  The  Bernard,  at  the  water's  edge, 
looked  toward  the  receding  boat,  and  alternately  whined  and  barked 
his  farewell.     Topsy  and  Turvy,  on  the  upper  beach,  stood  together, 


mmma 


mm 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


291 


but,  less  aware  of  what  was  taking  place,  simply  gazed  seaward  with 
blunt  curiosity. 

The  giant,  as  if  turned  to  stone,  stood  watching,  watching  watch- 
ing. His  eyes  were  too  hot  for  tears,  though  his  great  bosom  heaved 
with  short,  quick  gasps.  Only  once  did  he  move.  Rising  in  the 
stern  sheets,  the  boys  waved  their  caps  in  farewell ;  then  his  great 
right  arm  went  slowly  up  toward  heaven,  and  for  a  moment  it  was  as 
fixed  as  iron.  And  the  boys  knew  that  the  great  palm  turned  toward 
them  was  sending  benedictions  after  them. 

As  the  boat  drew  near  the  steamer,  Dick,  who  had  turned  to  see 
if  he  could  get  another  glance  at  the  giant's  diminishing  form  upon 
the  beach,  was  startled  to  hear  Jack  exclaim  :  "  My  God,  Dick  ! 
Who  are  those  two  men  standing  by  the  rail  and  waving  their  hats 
toward  us  ?" 

jack  could  not  trust  his  own  eyes,  and  for  a  moment  Dick  was 
equally  doubtful  of  the  evidence  of  his  own  sight,  but  standing  up  and 
waiting  for  the  boat  to  get  still  closer  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure, 
he  joyfully  exclaimed  :     "  Father  and  Mr.  Uniacke  !" 

"  Oh,  my  boys  !  Thank  God  !  You  are  safe  !"  And  Mr.  Mel- 
ville, the  moment  the  boys  v/ere  on  the  deck  of  the  tender,  embraced 
and  kissed  them  again  and  again,  while  Uniacke,  whom  the  reader  may 
remember,  was  the  attorney  who  was  one  of  the  hunting  party  intro-- 
duced  In  the  earlier  pages  of  this  story,  shook  them  by  the  hand,  and 
devoted  the  rest  of  his  energies  to  fighting  back  the  emotions  that 
threatened  to  play  havoc  with  his  facial  property  and  his  voice,  as  well. 

'•  And  mother — mother !  How  is  she  ?"  Jack  asked,  anxiously, 
as  soon  as  he  regained  command  of  himself. 

'  Rather  poorly,  boys,  and  no  wonder,  considering  what  she  has 
been  suffering  on  your  account ;  yet  not  so  poorly  as  to  prevent  her 
from  becoming  herself  again,  when  she  finds  that  you  are  safe.  She 
and  all  the  rest  of  the  family  are  in  Halifax." 

"  Glory,  glory !"  e.vclaimed  Dick,  who  had  already  begun  to  think 
of  the  lorg  distance  between  Halifax  and  Black  Point,  and  of  the 
days  that  must  pass  before  home  could  be  reached. 

"  I  have  sold  Black  Point,"  Mr.  Melville  went  on,  "  to  the  hunting 


■' 


292 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


club  of  which  our  friend,  Mr.  Uniacke,  is  the  president,  and  have 
gotten  more  for  it  than  I  ever  expected  to  realize,  since  that  storm 
that  upset  us." 

"  Good-by,  old  Black  Point — you  hateful  old  hag  of  a  place  !"  ex- 
claimed Dick,  in  the  boundlessness  of  his  ^satisfaction.  "  But  do 
you  mean  to  say  that  you  have  already  moved  away  from  there  ?'* 

"  Yes,  we  have  moved  to  Halifax,  into  a  nice  little  house  on  Tower 
Road  not  far  from  the  public  park  and  gardens.  Black  Point  be- 
came so  hateful  to  us  all,  and  it  was  such  a  torture  to  be  there,  that 
we  removed  as  soon  as  the  sale  was  completed.  The  Black  Point 
cottage  is  now  turned  into  a  hunting  lodge,  and  is  in  charge  of  a 
French  lodge-keeper." 

"  He  can  keep  it,  for  all  we  care,"  said  Jack,  who  was  beginning 
to  feel  that  he  needed  something  to  tie  him  down  to  the  tender,  he 
was  getting  so  airy  and  light-hearted. 

"  But,  I  don't  understand  how  it  happens  thai  you  are  here,"  said 
Dick,  somewhat  confused  by  the  glare  of  the  light  that  was  so  rapidly 
conce  itrating  itself  upon  the  family  destiny. 

"Well,  that  is  easily  explained,  my  boys.  I  believed  that  you  had 
fetched  up  on  Sable  Island,  and  so  did  every  old  seaman  with  whom 
I  conversed  about  the  matter.  The  hunting  club  believed  the  same 
thing,  and  Mr.  Uniacke  got  permission  from  the  government  for  me 
to  accompany  the  tender  on  her  annual  trip,  and  he  had  become  so 
much  interested  in  your  fate,  that,  when  it  came  time  for  the  steamer 
to  leave,  he  came  aboard  and  stayed  by  me.  I  was  in  such  an  agony 
of  anxiety  on  the  way  here.  I  do  not  know  what  I  should  have  done  if 
he  had  not  been  with  me  He,  it  was,  who  first  discovered  you 
standing  on  the  beach,  as  he  looked  through  the  steamer's  glass. 
Then  the  load  I  had  been  carrying  so  long  dropped  into  the  sea." 

"God  bless  you,  for  your  kindness  to  my  father!"  said  Dick, 
gratefully,  taking  the  friendly  attorney  by  the  hand  and  shaking  it 
with  a  vigor  that  made  him  wince,  while  Jack,  taking  his  other  hand, 
caressed  it  as  softly  as  though  it  were  his  mother's  cheek. 

••  Yes,"  said  the  attorney,  affecting  to  ignore  their  action,  and  re- 
ferring directly  to  what   Mr.  Melville  had  said.  "  when    I  saw  you 


■MMH 


THANK   god!      you   ARE   SAFE!'* 
803 


•■•  »";»-•  JTHa04*W/»l»«».-.i„».-,_„(„,vi,  J,  j|<4,», 


ffiBE8 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


295 


through  the  glass,  I  was  immensely  relieved,  I  can  assure  you.  But, 
I  saw  an  enormously  big  fellow  there  with  you — so  enormous,  that, 
when  I  saw  him  kissing  you  I  was  afraid  you  might  tumble  into  his 
mouth,  and  so  get  lost  in  spite  of  our  coming  all  the  way  here 
after  you." 

"  That  was  the  giant.  Jumps,"  said  Jack,  laughing  at  the  pleasant 
bit  of  fiction  the  lawyer  had  thrown  out  to  relieve  the  tension  which 
had  become  so  straining  to  his  professional  serenity. 

"  Jumps — the  best  old  giant  you  ever  heard  of,  and  I  wish  he  was 
with  us  this  very  minute!"  exclaimed  Dick,  feeling  as  though  the 
giant  had  a  rope  around  his  heart  and  was  trying  to  pull  him  back  to 
the  shore. 

All  the  boats  of  the  station  were  now  at  the  tender's  sides,  and, 
with  the  arrival  of  Darby  and  the  crew  of  the  wrecked  Aberdeen,  and 
the  hurly-burly  of  unloading  the  annual  supplies  for  the  island  into  the 
life-boats,  further  chance  for  conversation  was.  in  a  measure,  cut  off. 
The  has*e  of  everything  was  increased  by  the  appearance  of  gray 
weather  in  the  north,  and  the  steady  rising  of  the  wind.  Captain 
Fortescue's  orders  were  flying  about  thick  and  sharp  as  driving  hail, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  the  boats  headed  for  shore  and  the  steamer 
turned  for  the  open  sea,  and  made  haste  to  get  out  of  the  dangerous 
network  of  shoals  before  the  mists  shut  down  upon  her. 

The  boys  found  themselves  freshly  tried,  when  Darby,  the  sur- 
geon, and  Moline  and  others  among  the  Sable  Island  people  bade 
them  good-by. 

As  the  tender  was  sometimes  obliged  to  hover  around  Sable  Island 
days  before  she  could  effect  a  landing,  no  one  could  tell  when  she 
would  arrive  at  Halifax.  From  the  time  of  the  departue  of  Mr.  Mel- 
ville and  his  steadfast  friend,  Mr.  Uniacke,  Mrs.  Melville's  suspense 
increased  hourly.  Sable  Island  was  her  only  hope,  if  that  failed  her, 
the  fate  of  her  boys  was  sealed. 

At  the  end  of  the  fifth  day  after  the  departure  of  her  husband,  the 
door  opened  without  ceremony,  and  Dick  and  Jack  were  in  her  arms 
before  the  family  had  time  to  get  into  the  hallway,  and  the  long  year 
of  susi)ense  and  sorrow  was  at  an  end. 


■■«■ 


296 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


It  was  some  time  before  Mrs.  Melville  could  collect  herself  enough 
to  notice  that  her  husband  had  not  yet  come  in,  but,  when  she  did, 
there  was  a  shade  of  anxiety  on  her  face,  when  she  asked :  "  Where 
is  your  father?     Why  is  he  not  with  you?" 

*'0h,  we  left  him  and  Mr.  Uniacke  to  look  after  our  baggage," 
said  Dick,  so  cheerfully,  that  her  uneasiness  was  immediately  quieted. 
But  the  idea  of  baggage  appeared  so  ludicrous,  that  she  said : 

"  You  went  from  home  with  so  little  baggage,  I  do  not  see  what 
you  could  have  to  bring  bad:  with  you." 

"Wait  till  you  see  !"  cried  Jack,  with  so  much  impulsiveness,  and 
with  so  much  meaning  sticking  out  of  his  eyes  and  hanging  down 
over  the  whole  of  his  face,  that  he  was  in  danger  of  letting  his  lips 
run  away  with  him  prematurely. 

"  Grasshopper!"  shouted  Dick,  with  a  frown. 

jack  shut  himself  up  as  tightly  as  a  clam,  whose  mud-hole  has 
been  suddenly  invaded. 

But  little  Mary,  who  had  a  way  of  taking  words  at  their  straight 
meaning,  after  looking  around  for  some  trace  of  the  insect,  which 
was  very  obnoxious  to  her,  innocently  asked  :     "  Where  is  it  ?" 

The  boys  laughed,  but  before  they  could  be  pressed  for  an  ex- 
planation, a  dray  drove  up  to  the  door,  followed  by  Mr.  Melville,  Mr. 
Uniacke,  and  three  laboring  men.  With  the  assistance  of  these  aids 
the  four  boxes  addressed  to  Richard  and  John  Melville,  were  con- 
veyed to  the  sitting-room,  to  the  great  wonder  of  the  family. 

•*  That's  the  blam'dest  heavy  baggage  I  ever  handled,"  growled 
the  drayman,  wiping  the  sweat  from  his  forehead. 

"  Of  course  it's  heavy,"  said  Uniacke  ;  "  it  a  specimen  of  Sable 
island  sand.  Here  is  your  pay,"  and  he  pulled  out  a  handful  of 
silver  and  distributed  it  among  the  m.en,  adding,  "  don't  get  drunk 
because  you  have  got  more  than  your  due." 

••  I'm  a  reg'lar  teetotaller,"  said  one  of  the  men,  with  a  significant 
leer,  ••  but  thankee  all  the  same,  very  much  indeed.' 

"  I  thought  that  the  sand  was  the  best  grasshopper  that  I  could  use 
with  them,"  said  the  attorney  to  Dick  and  Jack,  as  the  men  departed, 


»';  .'iJi/,?;.i«i, ^/t/5  •».}#?• 


.n'iliiit:  f-f'V 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


297 


for  he,  as  well  as  Mr.  Melville,  had  been  told  the  story  of  the  con- 
tents of  the  boxes. 

Mrs.  Melville  looked  her  inquiries  from  one  to  another,  puzzled  at 
this  recurrence  of  the  long-legged  intruder's  name,  but  her  attention 
was  immediately  diverted  by  the  necessity  of  preparing  tea  for  the 
so  happily  increased  household. 

The  reunion  at  the  family  table,  after  so  long  a  separation,  was 
something  to  be  "remembered.  Nor  was  its  joy  in  any  way  embar- 
rassed by  the  presence  of  the  genial  lawyer,  whose  pleased  sympathy 
bubbled  over  in  the  way  of  questions  and  cross-examination,  which 
elicited  from  Dick  and  Jack  a  minute  account  of  their  voyage  to, 
landing  upon,  and  experiences  among  the  dunes  and  people  of  the 
"  Cemetery  of  the  Sea." 

At  the  table  nothing  was  said  about  the  discovery  of  the  buccan- 
eer rover ;  the  grasshopper  lingered  among  those  boxes  as  if  unwill- 
ing to  depart,  yet  his  legs  were  drawn  up  under  him  for  a  big  leap. 
After  tea,  tools  were  brought  in.  The  box  of  old  arms  was  first 
opened,  and  while  they  excited  the  wonder  of  the  family,  the  attor- 
ney, an  ardent  antiquarian,  was  delighted  with  their  antiquity.  Then 
came  the  uncovering  of  the  plate  and  the  story  of  the  old  vessel, fol- 
lowed quickly  by  the  unboxing  of  the' chests  in  the  presence  of  the 
amazed  Mrs.  Melville  and  the  children.  Expectation  became  pain- 
fully acute,  as  Mr.  Melville,  and  the  attorney,  and  the  boys,  with  the 
aid  of  cold  chisels  and  hammers,  broke  open  the  chests,  the  smaller 
one  of  which  was  filled  to  the  brim  with  gold  pieces,  and  the  larger, 
with  silver  and  occasional  pieces  of  gold. 

"To  whom  does  all  this  belong?"  asked  Mrs.  Melville,  now  paler 
than  usual,  under  the  extreme  excitement  of  the  moment. 

"  To  Richard  and  John  Melville,"  said  the  attorney,  with  the  dog- 
matic air  of  one  who  was  delivering  the  decision  of  the  law,  •*  and  to 
those  with  whom  they  see  fit  to  share  it.  True,  it  is  treasure  trove, 
but  is  of  such  a  nature  that  there  can  be  no  other  claimants  for  it. 
The  papers  furnished  by  the  authorities  of  the  island  are  in  my  hands, 
and  the  affidavits  are  good  against  the  world,  as  I  am  most  happy  to 
say.     Mr.  Melville  must  immediately  qualify  as  the  guardian  of  the 


298 


D!Cn  AI4D  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


boys.  The  treasure  should  be  deposited  in  the  Provincial  Bank  at 
the  earliest  moment — say.  to-morrow  at  farthest.  I  should  say,  from 
a  rough  guess  at  the  value-  including  the  gold  and  silver  plate — that 
there  is  not  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars  under  your  eyes. 
The  r.ews  of  the  safety  of  the  boys  is  already  bruited  abroad  in  the 
city,  and  1,  with  the  permission  of  Mr.  Melville,  who  has  asked  me 
to  serve  as  his  lawyer  in  this  whole  business,  shall  make  out  a  state- 
ment for  the  press  in  a  general  way,  but,  of  course,  we  must  apply 
the  grasshopper  to  every  matter  of  detail,  and  then  await  results,  of 
which,  however,  there  need  not  be  the  slightest  fear.  As  a  matter 
of  caution,  Mr.  Melville  and  the  boys  should  stay  in  this  room  to- 
night, though  there  is  not  the  slightest  reason  to  fear  intrusion  from  any 
unwelcome  visitors.  Now,  I  will  go  and  attend  to  the  newspapers, 
while  you  look  after  things  here.  So,  grasshopper,  and  good  night." 
And  the  attorney  departed. 

•*  Father,  where  is  your  hat?"  asked  Dick,  in  the  silence  which 
followed. 

"  My  hat?  There  it  is  on  the  table."  said  Mr.  Melville,  arousing 
himself  from  the  stupor  of  his  astonishment. 

"  Well,  just  take  it  and  hold  it  In  your  hand  for  a  moment  till  we 
come  back."  Mr.  Melville  held  the  hat,  looking  at  it  as  if  it  were 
an  elephant. 

The  boys  went  into  another  room,  but  soon  returned  bearing  their 
canvas  belts  with  them. 

"Pass  the  hat  for  the  last  collection  you'll  ever  take  up,  as  a 
preacher,  for  yourself,"  said  Dick.  "  Don't  be  afraid  1  Hold  it  out." 
Almost  involuntarily,  Mr.  Melville  held  the  hat  out,  while  the  boys 
dropped  the  belts  into  It,  Dick  saying,  as  they  fell  Into  the  crown : 
"There,  count  that  collection,  and  tell  me,  if  you  can,  how  many 
pennies  you  have  hauled  in  for  your  last  preaching  collection," 

The  father  held  the  belts  up,  after  he  had  taken  them  out  of  the 
hat,  and,  in  a  dazed  way.  looked  to  the  boys  for  an  explanation. 

"  Here,  take  this  jack-knife  and  walk  into  them,"  said  Jack,  hand- 
ing the  knife  to  his  father,  and  then  striking  his  favorite  Napoleonic 
attitude,  to  Dick's  great  amusement. 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


299 


"  But  be  csi-eful.  father,  that  you  do  not  drop  anything."  Jack  cau- 
tioned, with  an  authority  in  keeping  with  his  attitude. 

"  Here,  open  the  belts  over  this  bowl,"  said  Dick  handing  his 
father  a  bowl  from  the  buffet. 

Mr.  Melville  turned  the  belts  upon  the  table,  and  after  fingering 
them  slightl/,  smiled,  saying:  "  You  have  brought  us  specimens  of 
Sable  Island  pebbles,  I  suppose  ;  you  were  always  famous  for  picking 
up  pretty  pebbles  at  Black  Point." 

"Pebbles!"  exclaimed  Dick,  "it  is  a  good  deal  easier  to  find 
diamonds  on  Sable  Island  than  it  is  to  find  anything  In  the  shape  of 
a  pebble." 

"  If  you  had  said  specimens  of  Sable  Island  diet  in  the  shape  of 
peas  and  beans,  you  would  have  been,  nearer  the  mark,"  Jack  added. 

At  the  first  rip  in  the  first  belt  he  cut  into,  a  small  rain  of  patter- 
ing brilliants  fell  upon  the  table,  where  they  flashed  in  the  lamplight 
as  though  enjoying  a  luxury  they  had  long  been  denied.  With  a  set 
face  he  opened  each  division  of  each  belt  into  the  bowl,  and  after 
turning  each  belt  inside  out  and  satisfying  himself  that  they  were 
empty  at  last,  he  ran  his  fingers  into  the  bowl,  and  after  examining 
several  jewels,  singly,  said :  "  Boys,  where  did  you  get  those 
stones?" 

".They  were  in  a  small  box  by  themselves,"  said  Dick. 

"  Do  you  know  what  they  are  ?" 

"  If  we  had  not  suspected,  we  should  not  have  taken  so  much  pains 
to  conceal  them.  Not  a  soul  knows  about  them,  and  it  was  to  keep 
our  knowledge  of  them  to  ourselves  that  we  said  grasshopper  when- 
ever we  found  that  we  were  in  danger  of  speaking  about  them  to 
each  other  ;  that  always  made  us  shut  our  mouths  as  if  we  were  in 
danger  of  letting  one  of  those  long-legged  fellows  leap  down  our 
throats." 

"  This  is  an  amazing  piece  of  business  all  the  way  through,  but 
this  hat  collection,  as  you  call  it.  is  the  most  amazing  part  of  all." 


•  J  r-«i'' ■•  •i.^J'.'«:t-.-;>iB  jijL'lf 


:;i%ririt's;.^'>f:ii'tit; 


■MMM 


^■ 


THE  END  THAT 
IS  ONLY  A  BEGINNING 

HE  Melvllles  passed  a  rest- 
lessly happy  night.  In  their 
most  wakeful  hours  it  seem- 
ed as  though  they  were 
asleep  and  dreaming,  it  was 
so  difficult  for  them  to 
realize  their  changed  cir- 
cumstances. When  day- 
light came  things  became 
more  palpable  and  real. 
The  roomy,  handsome  cot- 
tage, the  beautiful  surround- 
ings, the  quaint  old  capitol 
of  the  Province,  the  loom- 
ing fortifications  of  the  cita- 
del above  them,  the  big 
public  buildings,  the  open 
park  and  gardsns,  the  ab- 
sence of  the  sea's  mono- 
tonous roar,  and  above  all, 
the  fact  that  they  were  no 
longer  to  be  exiles  at  Black 
Point,  filled  the  boys  with  exuberant  delight.  They  kissed  their 
mother,  swung  the  children  around  them  in  dizzy  whirls,  and  cracked 
jokes  with  their  father,  with  the  most  reckless  temerity. 

301 


/ 


■••i»».'.tttfui'uii-xitir'ii"*'-'* 


302 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


"  If  old  Gray  Blanket  were  here,"  said  Jack,  at  breakfast,  "  he 
would  feel  sourer  than  ever,  for  all  his  terrible  croakings  about  us 
wicked  boys  have  run  ashore,  bottom  up.  I  wonder  where  he  is,  I'd 
like  to  see  him  just  once  more." 

'*  Mr.  Gray  is  here  in  Halifax,"  Mr.  Melville  said,  soberly. 

"  Gracious  1"  Dick  exclaimed  ;  "  I  hope  that  we  shall  not  have 
him  preaching  around  and  into  us  for  another  whole  week — he's  an 
awtully  sticky  oid  fog-bank." 

"  There  is  not  much  danger  of  that  now,  for  he  is  in  the  insane 
asylum.  He  was  so  disappointed  and  angry  because  the  world  did 
not  come  to  an  end  at  the  time  he  predicted,  that  he  became  rav- 
ingly  crazy,  and  now  he  spends  his  time  cursing  the  churches,  the 
Bible,  and  everything  connected  with  them." 

"  Well,  he'd  better  be  doing  that  than  to  be  using  the  Bible  and 
the  churches  as  scarecrows  to  everything  that's  hopeful  and 
cheery."  And  there  was  so  much  rugged  force  in  Dick's  unex- 
pectedly mature  observation  that  Mr.  Melville  let  it  pass  without  at- 
tempting to  qualify  it. 

Mr.  Uniacke  came  in  after  breakfast  with  a  copy  of  the  Halifax 
Herald  containing  a  sample  of  the  item  furnished  by  him  to  the  city 
press.  After  reciting  the  main  facts  concerning  the  disappearance 
and  the  recovery  of  the  boys,  it  briefly  and  indefinitely  alluded  to  the 
finding  of  the  buccaneer  vessel  and  articles  of  considerable  value  to 
the  amateur  antiquarian. 

"  There."  said  he,  "  that  will  be  a  nine-days'  wonder,  and  then  it 
will  be  eclipsed  by  some  other  sensation,  which  will  last  for 
another  nine  days — or  less.  Meanwhile  we  must  get  the  money 
into  the  bank  to  Mr.  Melville's  credit  as  guardian  to  the  boys. 
The  confessional  uses  the  grasshopper  to  cover  its  penitents, 
the  medical  profession  uses  it  to  cover  its  patients,  and  the  banks 
use  it  to  cover  their  depositors,  and  we  must  continue  to  use 
it  to  prevent  ourselves  from  becoming  too  conspicuously  pror.  '- 
nent,  you  know,  for  where  the  carcass  is,  there  the  eagles  are 
gathered  together.  If  anybody  can  get  a  chance  to  put  you  into 
chancery  they'll  do  it  as  a  matter  of    course,  for  the    lawyers 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


303 


fast.  "  he 
about  us 
he  is,  I'd 

ly. 

I  not  have 
—he's  an 

the  insane 

world  did 

came  rav- 

rches,  the 

t  Bible  and 
jpeful  and 
Ick's  unex- 
without  at- 

the  Halifax 

to  the  city 

appearance 

iided  to  the 

e  value  to 

and  then  it 
ill  last  for 
the  money 
the  boys, 
penitents, 
the  banks 
lue  to  use 
sly  proT.  '- 
[eagles  are 
It  you  into 
le    lawyers 


are  master  hands  at  laying  out  pickings  for  themselves.  But  if  they 
undertake  to  get  into  this  business  they'll  run  themselves  so 
hard  against  the  wall  that  they'll  get  only  skinned  noses  for  their 
pains." 

Mr.  Melville  brought  out  the  bowl  of  jewels  and  told  their  story. 

The  fertile  attorney  was  overwhelmed  with  fresh  surprise.  "  Why, 
Melville,  there  is  a  fortune  in  that  collection  alone  !  Your  boys  are 
the  luckiest  dogs  alive  !  Here  is  more  business  for  that  grasshop- 
per— the  heaviest  he  ha'  liad  on  hand  yet." 

Mr.  Melville  thought  that,  having  managed  the  business  so  far.  the 
grasshopper  was  good  enough  for  future  trust,  and  he  described  the 
scene  of  the  previous  evening. 

The  lawyer  laughed  vociferously,  saying :  "If  every  preacher 
could  take  up  a  hat  collection  like  that,  it  would  do  one  of  two  things: 
it  would  either  empty  the  pulpits  and  leave  us  without  preaching,  be- 
cause the  preachers  wouldn't  want  to  preach  any  more,  or  it  would 
fill  up  the  churches,  because  the  preachers  wouldn't  have  to  take  up 
any  more  collections,  which  would  be  the  most  drawing  card  they 
could  play,  there  are  so  many  people  in  this  world  that  are  hunting  for 
churches  which  have  no  collection-traps  connected  with  the  pulpit  to 
be  sprung  upon  them  when  they  are  trying  to  settle  down  for  their 
usual  portion  of  Sunday  medicine."  And  the  lawye.  nudged  the 
minister,  as  if  expecting  a  disclaimer. 

But  Melville  only  laughed,  for  he  understood  his  friend  well  enough 
to  knov/  that  this  was  but  the  foam  of  a  stream  that  at  bottom  was 
both  clear  and  strong. 

Speaking  more  seriously.  Uniacke  went  on  to  say ;  "  There  is 
no  adequate  market  for  such  jewels  as  these  in  Halifax ;  you 
will  have  to  go  to  New  York,  or  to  London  or  Paris  to  dispose 
of  them  to  advantage,  and,  upon  the  whole,  I  think  Par'"  is  the 
place.  And,  look  here,  Melville,  you  ministers  have  so  much  con- 
science and  we  lawyers  have  so  little,  you  will  have  to  take  me  to 
Paris  with  you  to  keep  the  continental  sharks  from  making  mince- 
meat of  you." 


304 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Ul  -: 


"  If  I  must  go  into  the  world-market  with  those  stones,  you  will 
certainly  have  to  accompany  me,"  Mr.  Melville  replied. 

Uniacke  was  an  invaluable  counsellor.  Some  legal  busybodies, 
remotely  connected  with  the  government,  tried  to  make  a  treasure 
trove  case  out  of  the  boys'  discoveries,  but  failed  so  signally  that  all 
fear  of  disturbance  from  that  quarter  or  on  that  ground  vanished 
forever. 

The  wealthy  club,  to  which  the  lawyer  belonged,  purchased  most 
of  the  plate  for  their  clubhouse  at  a  bullion  valuation,  and  the  old 
arms  also  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  club. 

One  of  the  rings  picked  up  among  the  bones  in  the  buccaneer 
cabin  contained  a  diamond  solitaire  of  great  value,  and  this  was  de- 
posited with  the  other  stones.  The  remaining  rings  were  kept  as 
souvenirs,  while  the  locket-  a  plain  gold  one,  containing  the  likeness 
of  a  beautiful  yourtg  girl — was  given  to  Mrs.  Melville. 

Mr.  Melville  and  the  lawyer  went  to  Paris  and  sold  the 
stones  to  such  good  advantage  that  the  Melville  assets  were  almost 
doubled. 

During  the  boys'  minority,  Mr.  Melville,  having  no  settled 
charge — excepting  the  interests  of  his  sons — was  somewhat  inclined 
to  overdose  them  with  frequent  sermons  on  the  responsibilities 
of  wealth. 

After  one  of  these  moral  deluges,  Dick  said  :  "  The  best  way 
for  us  to  practice  what  you  preach  is  to  remember  the  poor, 
isn't  it?" 

"Yes,  that  is  the  best  possible  way,"  Mr.  Melville  promptly 
assented. 

"  Well,  that  dear,  old.  Sable  Island  giant  is  a  poor  man,  and  the 
first  thing  Jack  and  I  want  to  do  is  to  deposit  one  thousand  dollars  to 
his  credit  in  the  bank,  and  send  him  the  certificate  the  very  first 
chance  we  get." 

Mr.  Melville  was  inclined  to  demur  to  such  a  beginning  as  this, 
but  the  boys  were  so  persistent,  he  was  compelled  to  execute  their 
wishes. 

Little  by  little,  however,  Sable  Island  receded  from  their  view,  but 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


305 


,  you  will 

isybodies, 

L  treasure 

ly  that  all 

vanished 

ised  most 
id  the  old 

buccaneer 
lis  was  de- 
•e  kept  as 
ie  likeness 

sold    the 
ere  almost 

no  settled 
lat  inclined 
onsibilities 

best  way 
the  poor, 

!   promptly 

n,  and  the 
dollars  to 
very  first 

ng  as  this, 
jcute  their 

r  view,  but 


not  without  being  first  substantially  remembered  in  the  way  of  a  large 
library  sent  for  +he  benefit  of  the  lifemen,  and  the  founding  of  a  fund 
for  the  relief  of  such  as  might  be  injured  or  disabled  in  the  island 
service. 

The  boys  often  laughed  at  their  precocious  discussion  of  the  mat- 
rimonial question  while  on  the  island,  and  whenever  they  recalled  the 
images  of  the  king's  daughters,  the  "  freckles,  pudginess  and  patches  " 
came  back  to  them  with  vivid  distinctness.  They  were  getting  ac- 
customed to  the  clothes,  manners  and  usages  of  the  young  people  of 
Halifax  society,  but  whether  for  better  or  worse,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  decide,  although  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  society  point  of  view, 
depending,  as  it  does,  so  much  upon  the  kind  of  clothes  one  wears, 
is  far  from  being  an  elevated  point  of  view.  The  butterfly,  notwith- 
standing its  wings  and  colors,  carries  the  body  of  a  grub,  and  the 
snob  is  only  a  grub  with  wings. 

The  Melvilles  lived  seven  happy  years  in  Halifax,  and  then,  in  pur- 
suit of  larger  business  advantages  and  facilities,  removed  to  Boston, 
where,  after  a  few  years  of  apprenticeship  in  an  extensive  ship 
sailing  firm,  the  sign,  "  Melville  Brothers,"  indicated  the  headquar- 
ters of  a  firm  whose  ships  and  steamers  did  a  \wide  ocean  carrying 
business,  and  whose  reputations  stood  promine.it  among  the  rising 
men  of  the  •'  Puritan  City." 

The  brothers,  entirely  content  with  the  comforts  of  the  house 
which  they  had  bought  on  Commonwealth  avenue  for  the  use  of 
the  united  family,  and  much  absorbed  by  their  growing  and  very 
lucrative  business,  were  quite  indifferent  to  female  society,,  and 
were  rapidly  acquiring  bachelor  habits  and  tastes,  which  bade 
fair  to  keep  them  single  for  life.  Indeed,  they  had  gone  so  far 
as  to  agree  to  remain  single  until  each  had  made  a  choice  which 
should  not  only  suit  himself,  but  his  brother  also.  The  folly  in 
the  hide  of  the  boy  often  sticks  till  it  becomes  a  part  of  the  soul 
of  the  man ;  and  as  on  Sable  Island  the  boys  built  their  matri- 
monial castles  on  improbabilities,  so  now  we  find  them  doing  the 
same  thing,  although  so  mature  and  worldly-wise.     They  had  also 


"n^tvnti,t*^'l»iittiiHititmiMti1t»': 


,  .:»<*i|*<j«f.;.«; 


306 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


tacitly  agreed  that  when  one  was  married  the  other  should  be  mar- 
ried at  the  same  time. 

But  foolish  as  are  the  dreams  of  men  they  sometimes  come  about 
in  such  unexpected  ways,  and  with  such  success,  that  when  they  be- 
come realities  they  appear  as  the  wisest  things  that  were  ever  thought 
of,  and  as  the  only  things  that  were  expedient. 

One  day  while  the  brothers  were  making  purchases  in  a  Tremont- 
street  dry  goods  store  for  Mrs.  Melville,  who  was  still  the  apple  of 
their  eyes,  they  were  captivated  by  the  appearance  of  two  young 
ladies  who  were  making  purchases  at  the  same  counter.  The 
amiability  of  the  faces,  the  blueness  of  the  eyes,  the  clearness  and 
freshness  of  the  complexions,  the  perfect  taste  displayed  in  the  cos- 
tumes, and  the  low  modulation  of  the  voices,  together  with  the  grace 
of  manner  that  characterized  even  their  most  trivial  acts,  made  Dick 
think  foolishly  sudden  thoughts  concerning  the  elder,  while  Jack  just 
as  foolishly  was  drawn  toward  the  younger. 

The  admiration  of  the  brothers  was  suddenly  changed  into  aston- 
ishment when  one  of  the  ladies  said  to  her  companion,  while  the 
clerk  was  cutting  some  goods  for  them  :  "  By  the  way,  Belva,  father 
says  that  he  learned  this  noon  that  the  Melville  brothers,  who,  we 
thought,  were  living  in  New  York,  are  carrying  on  business  here  in 
Boston.     Would  you  not  like  to  see  them  once  more  ?" 

"  Why  should  I,  Alice  ?  All  I  remember  about  them  is  that  while 
they  were  on  Sable  Is'and,  they  were  a  pair  of  tall,  lean,  freckle- 
faced,  awkward,  and  quite  ignorant  lads,  who  made  us  a  present  of 
that  queer  Cinderella  Carolina  boat-wagon  v/hich  afforded  us  so  much 
amusement.  I  would  much  rather  have  another  look  at  the  wagon 
than  I  would  at  the  makers  of  it." 

Jack,  who  still  retained  a  good  share  of  his  native  Impulsiveness, 
immediately  advanced  toward  the  ladies,  and  said :  "  I  beg  your 
pardon,  ladies,  but  happening  to  hear  you  speak  of  the  Cinderella 
Carolina  and  Sable  Island,  and  having  heard  you  call  each  other  by 
the  names  we  used  to  know  while  on  Sable  Island  ourselves,  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  you  are  the  daughters  of  the  king.  My  excuse 
for  being  so  interested  is  the  fact  that  I  am  Jack  Melville,  and  my 


.- :.. .,  uKi;=ii:JutwfM;<;<i?«f w»««i(«^ii*»l«ffi;;i'-^:i=fli:««<>  r(*v*i 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


307 


J  mar- 

!  about 
ley  be- 
hought 

emont- 
Dple  of 
young 
.  The 
ess  and 
he  cos- 
le  grace 
de  Dick 
ack  just 

3  aston- 

^hile  the 

father 

who,  we 

here  in 

at  while 
freckle- 
esent  of 
jo  much 
e  wagon 

liveness, 
)eg  your 
nderella 
other  by 

I  came 
/  excuse 

and  my 


companion  is  Dick,  my  brother.  We  read  of  the  arrival  this 
morning  of  the  steamer  commanded  by  our  old  friend.  Captain  Darby, 
and  intended  to  board  her  this  afternoon  in  the  hope  of  renewing 
our  acquaintance  with  him  ;  if  we  had  known  that  his  daughters  were 
with  him,  we  should  have  paid  our  respects  at  once." 

The  Darbys  blushed  crimson  when  they  recalled  what  had  been 
said  about  the  physicial  and  mental  peculiaiities  of  the  Melville 
brothers.  But  Alice,  who  retained  her  natural  merry  frankness, 
said :     "  Of  course  you  overheard  Belva's  flattering  allusion  to  you  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Dick,  laughing,  "  and  if  you  will  pardon  me  for  say- 
ing it,  we  will  acknowledge  that  you  did  but  pay  us  off  in  our  own 
coin,  for  we  have  often  spoken  of  you  as  the  freckle-faced,  awkward 
Darby  girls.  But  we  cannot  revenge  ourselves  upon  one  another  in 
this  public  place  ;  if  you  will  step  into  our  carriage,  which  is  at  the  door, 
we  will  drive  down  to  the  wharf,  take  in  the  king  and  drive  you  to 
our  home,  where  you  must  stay  while  you  are  in  the  city.  There 
we  can  revenge  ourselves  at  our  leisure.  Your  purchases  can  be  put 
with  ours  and  sent  to  our  home. 

The  old  footing  was  so  quickly  and  naturally  restored,  that  the 
ladies  consented  to  drive  down  to  their  father's  steamer,  and  condi- 
tioned further  proceedings  upon  his  opinions,  saying  that  he  still 
ruled  as  of  yore. 

This  was  Darby's  first  voyage  to  Boston  as  master  of  the  passen- 
ger steamer  Joe  Howe,  of  which  he  was  the  principal  owner.  He 
stood  on  the  wharf  attending  to  some  details  of  unloading,  when  a 
handsome  carriage,  with  a  liveried  driver,  drove  up  quite  near  to  him, 
and  a  voice  from  within,  said ;  "  Ho  there,  your  majesty.  Darby, 
Rex  I  will  you  have  the  kindness  to  step  here  a  minute,  and  excuse 
me  for  not  getting  out  till  a  little  later  ?" 

Dazed  by  a  salutation  that  savored  so  strongly  of  old-time  asso- 
ciations, yet  unable  to  recognize  the  voice.  Captain  Darby  drew  near 
the  carriage,  where  he  was  still  more  surprised  to  find  his  two 
daughters  in  the  company  of  two  strange  gentlemen. 

"  Well,  sir,  you  have  the  advantage  of  me,"  he  said  to  Dick,  who 
was  smiling  In  spite  of  his  effort  to  keep  a  sober  face,  "  yet  you  use 


'<^>,ntitii':fmi;iiiiiitiiimkHi>imu:itiiimuHHHiit!Hr 


308 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


terms  that  must  have  been  furnished  you  by  someone  who  has  known 
something  ?       ♦  my  former  life  on  Sable  Island," 

"Why,  C  .n  Darby,  don't  you  recognize  us?"  asked  Jack,  as 
the  captain  looked  around  for  an  explanation. 

••  I  know  those  girls  pretty  well,  but  the  others  of  you  I  don't  know 
from  Adam,"  said  Darby,  bluntly. 

"  We  are  the  Dick  and  Jack  whom  you  once  summoned  to  the 
palace  over  the  signature  of  Darby,  Rex,"  Dick  explained;  "  we'll 
get  out  of  the  carriage  and  then,  perhaps,  you'll  know  us." 

"  By  Jove,  gentlemen !  I  can  detect  just  a  little  of  the  old  boys  in 
you — just  enough  to  make  it  safe  for  me  to  give  you  a  real  hearty 
shake  of  the  hand ;  but  the  clothes,  and  the  moustaches,  you  know, 
and  all  the  rest  are  confoundedly  confounding."  And  he  shook 
hands  with  a  warmth  that  showed  he  was  in  no  real  doubt  as  to  their 
identity.  "  I  heard  this  morning,"  he  continued,  "  that  you  were  here 
in  Boston,  and  that  you  had  become  real  upper-crust  sort  of  chaps." 

"  We  belong  to  the  under-crust,"  said  Jack,  laughing. 

"  So  much  the  better,  for  it  is  the  under-crust  that  holds  the  pie, 
after  all,  Mr.  Melville." 

"Oh,  don't  'mister'  us,  captain,"  said  Jack,  "we  have  been 
'missing'  and  'mistering'  one  another  in  the  carriage  at  a  great 
rate,  but  we  two,  at  least,  are  plain  Dick  and  Jack,  still." 

"  But  where  did  you  pick  up  the  girls  ?" 

The  daughters  explained,  before  the  Melvilles  had  time  to  answer, 
and,  in  the  end,  the  bluff  old  captain  joined  them  in  the  visit  to  the 
Melvilles,  and  the  acquaintance,  thus  renewed,  was  as  delightful  as 
it  was  unexpected. 

While  they  were  recounting  Sable  Island  experiences,  the  Mel- 
villes were  particular  to  inquire  about  the  German  giant.  A  German 
emigrant  ship  was  castaway  on  the  island  and  the  giant  was  married 
to  one  of  the  young  German  women  by  the  king,  by  virtue  of  his 
office  as  a  magistrate, 

"  When  I  left  the  island  and  removed  to  Yarmouth  to  take  charge 
of  my  vessel,"  said  Darby,  "  which  was  four  years  ago,  he  left  In 
the  tender  with  me.     He  drew  from  the  bank  the  money  you  left 


si'tit:.>:.^iiuzi^dtmiiimUi$i{i4iiAe*i^Himirift?rjr'-r:i{it!iiUli  t^^^ 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


309 


known 

ick,  as 

t  know 

to  the 
"  we'll 

boys  in 
hearty 
u  know, 
;  shook 
to  their 
ere  here 
chaps." 

the  pie, 

^e  been 
a  great 


I  answer, 

it  to  the 

htful  as 

he  Mel- 
German 
married 
le  of  his 

le  charge 
je  left  in 
r  you  left 


there  for  him  and  came  over  to  the  States.     Since  that  time  I  have 
heard  nothing  of  him." 

*^nd,  speaking  of  marriage,  not  long  after  the  reunion  of  the  Mel- 
villes  and  the  Darbys,  there  was  a  double  marriage  in  Yarmouth 
performed  by  the  Rev.  William  Melville.  Dick  and  Alice  made  one 
pair,  and  Jack  and  Belva  the  other,  and  this,  too,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  Dick  had  said  that  the  Darby  girls  were  freckle-faced  and  pudgy, 
and  Belva  had  said  that  the  Melville  boys  were  lean,  freckle-faced, 
awkward  lads,  remembered  only  for  the  Cinderella  Carolina  cask- 
boat  carriage.  When  Father  Time  revenges  himself  in  such  pacific 
ways  as  this,  we  can  well  afford  to  let  him  have  his  will. 

There  were  now  two  domestic  establishments  in  Boston,  instead 
of  one,  and  two  summer  Melville  residences  at  Nahant,  as  well. 
Dick  called  his  Nahant  villa  Maskomet,  and  lack  named  his  Dune 
Dale. 

Fortunes  so  seldom  come  by  accident,  it  were  folly  for  anyone  to 
expect  to  stumble  upon  them  unawares.  Dick  and  Jack  never  for- 
got that  the  foundation  of  their  fortune  was  laid  upon  the  spoils  of 
buccaneers,  and  hence,  they  always  felt  that  they  were  in  duty  bound 
to  act  as  the  administrators  of  that  Providence  which  had  made  them 
the  discoverers  of  the  long-hidden  wealth.  Whether  we  have  much  or 
little,  duty  abates  not  jot  nor  tittle.  Acquisition  in  any  way  involves 
inquisition  in  the  final  say. 

"Look  here.  Jack!"  exclaimed  Dick,  one  morning,  as  he  was 
glancing  over  a  local  morning  paper,  and  then  he  read  the  following 
paragraph : 

"  The  German  giant,  who  keeps  a  grocery  store  on  Central  Square, 
East  Boston,  lost  the  most  of  his  stock  in  the  fire  which  occurred 
over  there  last  night.  He  and  his  wife  and  child  liv  ^  over  the  store, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  his  three-year-old  daughter  was  saved 
from  the  flames.  Mr.  Schomps  had  no  insurc^nce,  and  his  loss  is,  ^ 
therefore,  very  heavy." 

"Can  it  be  possible,"  Dick  continued,  "that  this  Is  our  Jumps? 
1  know  that  people,  who  have  been  well  acquainted  in  the  past,  may, 
In  these  city  populations,  get   close   together  and   yet   remain  as 


~^.trt»f%tt!.mii..uititiaiiti*ttiftnmiSiiiUHititi9i4itH;tiitH 


mm 


310 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


Ignorant  of  one  another  as  If  they  were  at  the  opposite  ends  of  the 
earth." 

"That  must  be  the  dear  old  fellow,"  said  Jack,  energetically. 
"  The  name,  nationality  and  description  cannot  be  mere  coin- 
cidences." 

'*  It  will  be  easy  enough  to  find  out,  and  I  will  take  the  ferry  and 
go  over  and  see  for  myself,"  Dick  responded,  reaching  for  his  hat. 

Behind  the  blackened  counter  Jumps,  for  It  was  he,  stood  taking 
a  sort  of  inventory  of  what  the  fire  had  left,  and  he  was  looking  as 
disconsolate  as  though  he  had  not  a  friend  in  the  world.  His  face, 
being  turned  toward  the  shelves,  he  did  not  observe  Dick  when  he 
came  In  at  a  brisk  pace  and  walked  directly  up  to  where  he  stood. 
So  many  persons  had  come  in  and  gone  out,  from  mere  curiosity, 
that  jumps  had  ceased  to  notice  them. 

"  Grasshopper,  Jumps!"  said  Dick,  who  recognized  the  giant  the 
moment  he  entered  the  store. 

The  giant  turned  as  quickly  as  If  he  had  been  slewed  by  a  whirl- 
wind. The  English  language  was  still  the  incurable  sore  of  his  life, 
as  was  immediately  evinced,  when,  after  gazing  at  his  visitor,  he 
said,  in  the  broken  patois,  which  was  such  music  to  Dick's  ears : 
*'  Who  vas  dot  ?  She  vas  nefer  say  dot  grasshobber — Jumps,  mitout 
she  vas  see  dot  Saple  Island  ven  I  vas  mit  it  myselluf.  Ach  I  you 
vas  say  dot  so  like  mein  poys,  Dick  und  Jack,  dot  mein  heart 
veels  badt." 

The  levity  ran  out  of  Dick  as  water  runs  from  a  barrel  when  the 
bottom  is  knocked  out,  and  his  voice  quivered,  when  he  said  :  "  1 
am  Dick  Melville,  and  I  am  here  to  take  possession  of  you  again 
for  myself,  and  for  Jack,  who  lives  in  Boston  with  me." 

"  Mein  gracious !  Gott  in  HImmel!  •  her  vas  say  dot  some 
more  right  ervay,  pooty  qvick,  dot  vire  may  purn  me  some  more, 
und  1  don't  mind  her  nodt  a  pit."  And,  greatly  agitated,  the  giant 
came  from  behind  the  counter  and  laid  his  great  hands  upon  Dick's 
shoulders,  and,  after  looking  down  into  his  eyes  for  a  moment,  said : 
"  Ach  I     I  vas  see  dot  Dick  pehint  dose  eyes,  und  her  vas  look  at 


ON  SABLE  ISLAND 


311 


5  of  the 

getically. 
re    coin- 
ferry  and 
lis  hat. 
od  taking 
)oking  as 
His  face, 
:  when  he 
he  stood. 
!  curiosity, 

!  giant  the 

by  a  whlrl- 
of  his  life, 

visitor,  he 
ick's  ears: 
Tips,  mitout 

Ach!  you 
mein  heart 

el  when  the 
said:  "I 
you  again 

ly  dot  some 
some  more, 
3d,  the  giant 
upon  Dick's 
oment,  said : 
vas  look  at 


me  und  say  grasshobber,  Jumps,  some  more,  und  I  vas  say  grass- 
hobber,  jumps,  some  more  right  ervay  myselluf  efery  tay." 

h\  the  back  of  the  store,  among  the  ruins,  sat  a  woman  holding  a 
flaxen-haired  child  to  her  bosom.  The  mother's  tace  was  an  epitome 
of  the  ten  commandments,  and  the  child's,  a  picture  of  the  inno- 
cence that  is  above  all  law. 

*'  Bauline  !  "  Bau — line  1  Her  vas  coom  here  right  ervay,  pooty 
qvick,  as  efer  she  vas  1" 

When  Pauline  and  the  child  stood  by  the  side  of  the  giant,  he 
said:  "You  vas  see  dot  vine  shentleman,  don't  it;  und  vat  you 
dinks  ?  Dot  yas  mein  Dick,  und  dot  Jack  vas  ofer  in  Poston  all 
dose  dimes  mit  him  efer  so  long  dime  ;  und  you  vas  see  dem,  und  1 
vas  see  dem  some  more  myselluf :  und  her  vas  see  dot  papy  und 
mein  vrow.  Ach,  Bauline  I  I  vas  so  habby  as  her  nefer  vas 
pevore." 

And  the  giant  got  so  inextricably  mixed  up  In  his  speech  that  he 
paused  to  disentangle  himself.  Presently  he  broke  out  again  with  : 
"  Und  vat  you  dinks,  mein  poy  ?  Dot  vas  dot  Bauline  vat  hear  me 
say  Dick  und  Jack  vive  tousan  dimes  und  more  pesides.  Her  vas 
vrecked  on  dot  island,  und  I  vas  lofe  her.  und  she  vas  lofe  me  ;  und 
ven  she  vas  hafe  dot  papy  ve  vas  lofe  some  more  petter  dan  dot 
udder  dimes.     Ach.  I  vas  so  habby!" 

His  troubles  were  at  an  end.  The  Melvilles  built  for  him  a  hand- 
some lodge  on  their  Nahant  estate,  and  made  him  the  keeper  of 
Dune  Dale  and  Maskomet.  Here,  with  his  little  family,  living  among 
the  arbors,  and  the  flowers,  and  the  trees,  and  serving  the  men  who 
loved  him  so  well,  he  knew  neither  want  nor  worry. 

Of  all  the  investments  the  Melville  brothers  made,  none  was  more 
successful  than  the  one  made  in  the  great-hearted,  child-like,  honest 
German  giant.  Jumps,  otherwise  known  as  Nicholas  Schomps,  the 
keeper  of  the  Melville  lodge  at  Nahant.  He  was  a  perennial  bless- 
ing, done  up  in  one  of  the  Almighty's  original  packages. 

The  Melvilles  were  not  the  men  to  glut  themselves  with  wealth 
against  a  day  when  death  should  force  them  to  vomit  It  forth  In  un- 
willing throes ;  nor  were  they  the  men  to  hold  their  gains  for  loud-sound- 


^>^»i$imK.ut.ii,ititit-ititUit*im»UiiiitHiitUtlilHi*il'i.<i-. 


Z!ZZZ 


312 


DICK  AND  JACK'S  ADVENTURES 


ing  public  gifts  pompously  dropped  into  the  public  "  collection  "  for 
the  sake  of  leaving  behind  a  noisy  tin-trumpet  fame  ;  they  made  in- 
vestments of  personal  kindness  to  human  beings,  and  personal  mini- 
strations to  human  needs  as  personal  administrators  of  a  personal 
trust.  There  were  many  who  rose  up  and  called  them  blessed 
while  they  lived. 
And  here  endeth  the  last  lesson : 

"  Honor  and  shame  from  no  conditions  rise ; 
Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies." 
And  now  if  the  reader  should  seriously  say 
As  he  closes  the  book  and  puts  it  away — 
"  Is  this  all  plain  truth,  or  is  it  a  whopper  ?* 
With  finger  on  lips,  we  must  end  with 


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